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 Mali and from Hong Kong.
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 1963 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Winnipeg and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manila 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 rhodes 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 Lou Reed & John Cale to the punk 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 Roy Ayers. All the underground hits.
All Drive Like Jehu tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch 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 '80s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Kerrie Biddell record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Barclay James Harvest,
PIL,
Freddie Wadling,
Shuggie Otis,
Kaleidoscope,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Jacques Brel,
The Residents,
Country Joe & The Fish,
LL Cool J,
Lakeside,
Country Teasers,
Ultravox,
Amon Düül II,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Morten Harket,
The Stooges,
Minor Threat,
F. McDonald,
Pussy Galore,
John Lydon,
Glambeats Corp.,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Reagan Youth,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Jandek,
New York Dolls,
Althea and Donna,
Infiniti,
The Searchers,
DNA,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
X-Ray Spex,
Kayak,
Sonny Sharrock,
Isaac Hayes,
James White and The Blacks,
Monks,
Mary Jane Girls,
Eddi Front,
Roxy Music,
Schoolly D,
Frankie Knuckles,
Eric Copeland,
Moby Grape,
Pylon,
Make Up,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Von Mondo,
Throbbing Gristle,
Oneida,
Sam Rivers,
Boogie Down Productions,
DJ Sneak,
The Music Machine,
Soul Sonic Force,
Cecil Taylor,
Quantec,
Kevin Saunderson,
Skarface,
The American Breed,
Half Japanese, Half Japanese, Half Japanese, Half Japanese.
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.