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 Burkina and from Woodstock.
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 1965 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manchester and Madrid.
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 1976 at the first Feelies practice in a loft in Haledon.
I was working on the linndrum sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Simply Red to the jazz kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Neil Young & Crazy Horse. All the underground hits.
All Bronski Beat tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Model 500 record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a rhodes and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Essential Logic record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Unwound,
Smog,
Ultravox,
Newcleus,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Intrusion,
10cc,
Lou Reed,
Joensuu 1685,
The Selecter,
Rhythm & Sound,
Moby Grape,
Eli Mardock,
Boogie Down Productions,
Tim Buckley,
Eurythmics,
The J.B.'s,
Peter & Gordon,
Howard Jones,
Reuben Wilson,
Cluster,
the Sonics,
The Techniques,
Terry Callier,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Masters at Work,
The Electric Prunes,
Marvin Gaye,
Cymande,
Essential Logic,
The Real Kids,
Patti Smith,
UT,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
the Germs,
Jandek,
Amon Düül,
June of 44,
Gabor Szabo,
The Five Americans,
Trumans Water,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
The Wake,
Y Pants,
Fad Gadget,
The Toasters,
La Düsseldorf,
The Young Rascals,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Babytalk,
Make Up,
The Moleskins,
Drexciya,
Flipper,
Deadbeat,
Sparks,
Moebius,
Radio Birdman,
Delon & Dalcan,
Pantytec,
Cecil Taylor,
Half Japanese,
The Star Department, The Star Department, The Star Department, The Star Department.
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.