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 Papua New Guinea and from Bologna.
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 1968 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Madrid and Lyon.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Cairo 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 1976 at the first Wire practice in a loft in Watford.
I was working on the chamberlin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Visage to the funk kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Sun Ra Arkestra. All the underground hits.
All T.S.O.L. tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Magma record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance 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 spring reverb and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Piero Umiliani record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Hot Snakes,
Gregory Isaacs,
Wally Richardson,
The Busters,
Aural Exciters,
Godley & Creme,
the Association,
Faraquet,
Radio Birdman,
Morten Harket,
The Gap Band,
The Remains,
Eric Copeland,
The Monochrome Set,
Das Ding,
Don Cherry,
Rhythm & Sound,
Average White Band,
Scott Walker,
David McCallum,
The Red Krayola,
Nas,
Saccharine Trust,
Sun City Girls,
Boredoms,
Can,
Grandmaster Flash,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Bobby Sherman,
Ponytail,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Guru Guru,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
the Swans,
Rufus Thomas,
The Slackers,
Rapeman,
The J.B.'s,
Dennis Brown,
the Germs,
E-Dancer,
Pagans,
Hoover,
Piero Umiliani,
Moby Grape,
Duran Duran,
Simply Red,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Dead Boys,
Michelle Simonal,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Television,
Gang Gang Dance,
Ludus,
Lee Hazlewood,
Sonic Youth,
Reuben Wilson,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Lou Christie,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
The Fire Engines, The Fire Engines, The Fire Engines, The Fire Engines.
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.