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 Fiji and from Accra.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Bronski Beat show in Brixton.
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 1966 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Sao Paulo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Toronto 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 1983 at the first Art of Noise practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Gian Franco Pienzio to the disco kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 London Community Gospel Choir. All the underground hits.
All Lalo Schifrin tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Dennis Brown 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Goldenarms record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Count Five,
Little Man,
Marshall Jefferson,
The Gladiators,
Gil Scott Heron,
The Mummies,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Lower 48,
Curtis Mayfield,
The Beau Brummels,
Danielle Patucci,
Wasted Youth,
Arab on Radar,
Cal Tjader,
the Association,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
The Electric Prunes,
Yellowson,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
The Dirtbombs,
Al Stewart,
Kerri Chandler,
Bluetip,
Ponytail,
Radio Birdman,
Joe Finger,
Bill Wells,
Boz Scaggs,
Jandek,
Franke,
Rekid,
10cc,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Roy Ayers,
Monks,
Delta 5,
Moebius,
Chrome,
The Walker Brothers,
Tommy Roe,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
These Immortal Souls,
EPMD,
Crash Course in Science,
Albert Ayler,
The Modern Lovers,
Banda Bassotti,
Anthony Braxton,
The Raincoats,
Angry Samoans,
Chris Corsano,
Throbbing Gristle,
The Evens,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Nils Olav,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Kevin Saunderson,
Gichy Dan,
Wolf Eyes,
Television Personalities,
Scratch Acid,
Don Cherry, Don Cherry, Don Cherry, Don Cherry.
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.