Infinitely Losing My Edge
Yeah, I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
The kids are coming up from behind.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids from Vanuatu and from Bremen.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Mistral show in Amsterdam.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids whose footsteps I hear when they get on the decks.
I'm losing my edge to the internet seekers who can tell me every member of every good group from 1963 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Lyon.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Delhi kids in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered nineties.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
I can hear the footsteps every night on the decks.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine started up his first band.
I told him, "Don't do it that way. You'll never make a dime."
I was there.
I was the first guy playing Mr. Review to the dance kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
Everybody thought I was crazy.
We all know.
I was there.
I was there.
I've never been wrong.
But I'm losing my edge to better-looking people with better ideas and more talent.
And they're actually really, really nice.
I'm losing my edge.
I heard you have a compilation of every good song ever done by anybody.
Every great song by Alphaville. All the underground hits.
All The Associates tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Public Image Ltd. record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rhythm & Sound record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Aaron Thompson,
Eddi Front,
Minny Pops,
Michelle Simonal,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Isaac Hayes,
Lalo Schifrin,
The Searchers,
the Swans,
Royal Trux,
Terry Callier,
Brick,
Wasted Youth,
E-Dancer,
Peter & Gordon,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Sparks,
Second Layer,
Brass Construction,
Spoonie Gee,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
The Sonics,
Agent Orange,
Gang Starr,
Con Funk Shun,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Hot Snakes,
Saccharine Trust,
Fluxion,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Prince Buster,
Lightning Bolt,
Radiohead,
The Saints,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
48th St. Collective,
Crime,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Delon & Dalcan,
The Five Americans,
Oblivians,
Easy Going,
Au Pairs,
Brand Nubian,
Man Parrish,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Robert Görl,
The Fire Engines,
Henry Cow,
Tropical Tobacco,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Jeru the Damaja,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Hashim,
The Skatalites,
Mary Jane Girls,
Zero Boys,
Public Enemy,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
The Slackers,
Sun Ra,
Country Teasers,
Urselle, Urselle, Urselle, Urselle.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.