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 Malaysia and from Taipei.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1965 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Halifax and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 1968 at the first Bowie practice in a loft in Bromley.
I was working on the clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Rhythm & Sound to the rock kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Stockholm Monsters. All the underground hits.
All Roxette tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Gian Franco Pienzio record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Joe Finger,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Todd Rundgren,
Mandrill,
Lungfish,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Gang of Four,
Neil Young,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Moby Grape,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Dark Day,
The Busters,
Gang Starr,
Agent Orange,
Los Fastidios,
Camberwell Now,
Marine Girls,
Kool Moe Dee,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Section 25,
Dead Boys,
The Durutti Column,
Grandmaster Flash,
The Raincoats,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
DJ Sneak,
Stereo Dub,
Prince Buster,
China Crisis,
Sixth Finger,
Moss Icon,
Man Parrish,
Fatback Band,
LL Cool J,
Rufus Thomas,
The Fall,
Eric Dolphy,
Goldenarms,
Swans,
Sugar Minott,
Mission of Burma,
The Smiths,
D'Angelo,
the Swans,
Letta Mbulu,
B.T. Express,
The Neon Judgement,
Slave,
The Dead C,
Flash Fearless,
Rekid,
Fear,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Zero Boys,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Bobby Byrd,
The Tremeloes,
The Misunderstood, The Misunderstood, The Misunderstood, The Misunderstood.
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.