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 Thailand and from Taipei.
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 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and Lagos.
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 1977 at the first Zapp practice in a loft in Hamilton.
I was working on the snare sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 The Mighty Diamonds 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 Iggy Pop. All the underground hits.
All Scott Walker tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Nirvana record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Mark Hollis record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Avey Tare,
Little Man,
the Normal,
Robert Hood,
Amon Düül II,
Pierre Henry,
Johnny Osbourne,
The Wake,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Ultra Naté,
a-ha,
Roger Hodgson,
Soulsonic Force,
The Leaves,
Skriet,
Al Stewart,
Deadbeat,
Interpol,
Graham Central Station,
the Slits,
Nik Kershaw,
Monks,
New York Dolls,
Adolescents,
Basic Channel,
Livin' Joy,
Cybotron,
Crash Course in Science,
Stockholm Monsters,
Fela Kuti,
Vladislav Delay,
Piero Umiliani,
Delta 5,
Terry Callier,
Camberwell Now,
Hoover,
Crooked Eye,
Sun Ra,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Aswad,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Lou Christie,
The Stooges,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Theoretical Girls,
Barclay James Harvest,
Niagra,
Con Funk Shun,
Ossler,
The Saints,
The Vogues,
Gang Gang Dance,
Quando Quango,
Harmonia,
Blossom Toes,
Underground Resistance,
DNA,
June Days,
Eden Ahbez,
DJ Sneak,
The Red Krayola,
The Dave Clark Five,
The Fall,
the Germs, the Germs, the Germs, the Germs.
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.