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 Cyprus and from Columbus.
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 1969 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manchester and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 Mistral practice in a loft in Amsterdam.
I was working on the snare 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 Scott Walker + Sunn O))) to the funk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Bobby Hutcherson. All the underground hits.
All Faraquet tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every D'Angelo 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 '70s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Neon Judgement record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Oneida,
A Certain Ratio,
X-102,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Johnny Clarke,
Lower 48,
Interpol,
The Monochrome Set,
Kerrie Biddell,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Eric Dolphy,
Harpers Bizarre,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
John Lydon,
Flash Fearless,
The Seeds,
the Germs,
The Real Kids,
Warsaw,
The Mojo Men,
The Dave Clark Five,
Barbara Tucker,
Soulsonic Force,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Model 500,
Boz Scaggs,
Reagan Youth,
Skaos,
Erasure,
The Neon Judgement,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Max Romeo,
Donald Byrd,
Graham Central Station,
Joey Negro,
Sandy B,
Newcleus,
June of 44,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
The Sound,
Saccharine Trust,
Tom Boy,
the Human League,
Marmalade,
Althea and Donna,
Lucky Dragons,
Juan Atkins,
Gang of Four,
Porter Ricks,
Niagra,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
John Coltrane,
Cameo,
Public Enemy,
Bauhaus,
U.S. Maple,
The Cramps,
Gang Gang Dance,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Toni Rubio,
Masters at Work, Masters at Work, Masters at Work, Masters at Work.
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.