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 Syria and from Calgary.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1961 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 1977 at the first Zapp practice in a loft in Hamilton.
I was working on the 808 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 Black Flag to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Alice Coltrane. All the underground hits.
All the Association tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Barrington Levy record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Leaves record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Scientists,
Maurizio,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
The Young Rascals,
Nico,
The American Breed,
Pere Ubu,
Patti Smith,
R.M.O.,
Altered Images,
Darondo,
Archie Shepp,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Scott Walker,
The Fortunes,
This Heat,
Davy DMX,
10cc,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Monolake,
Little Man,
Q65,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Lalann,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Jandek,
John Foxx,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Section 25,
Minor Threat,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Deakin,
Dawn Penn,
Rapeman,
X-102,
Au Pairs,
Delta 5,
Black Flag,
The Human League,
Panda Bear,
The Detroit Cobras,
Reagan Youth,
Ralphi Rosario,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
the Normal,
Tommy Roe,
Todd Rundgren,
Roger Hodgson,
Crispy Ambulance,
Fela Kuti,
Sound Behaviour,
Crispian St. Peters,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Stetsasonic,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Bluetip,
Duran Duran,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Skarface,
Amon Düül II,
Ossler, Ossler, Ossler, Ossler.
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.