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 Tajikistan and from New York.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Winnipeg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school New York 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 1973 at the first Television practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the spring reverb 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 Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel to the grunge 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 Deakin. All the underground hits.
All Electric Prunes tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Terror Squad Feat. Camron record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a snare and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Can record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Human League,
Swans,
Public Enemy,
The Techniques,
Massinfluence,
The Beau Brummels,
John Holt,
Man Eating Sloth,
Surgeon,
Cluster,
Warsaw,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Pussy Galore,
PIL,
James White and The Blacks,
T.S.O.L.,
The Sound,
Crispy Ambulance,
Average White Band,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Ultimate Spinach,
Magazine,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Terry Callier,
Delta 5,
Ornette Coleman,
Index,
Todd Rundgren,
Das Ding,
Archie Shepp,
Accadde A,
The Angels of Light,
Absolute Body Control,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Ronnie Foster,
Cheater Slicks,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Warren Ellis,
The Five Americans,
Goldenarms,
Nas,
UT,
Gang Gang Dance,
Freddie Wadling,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Aswad,
Zero Boys,
Harry Pussy,
Sex Pistols,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Bobby Sherman,
David Bowie,
Mary Jane Girls,
Junior Murvin,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
The Stooges,
Steve Hackett,
Basic Channel,
Dawn Penn,
L. Decosne,
Chris & Cosey,
Lungfish,
Derrick May, Derrick May, Derrick May, Derrick May.
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.