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 Nigeria and from Toronto.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Lewis show in Vancouver.
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 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Portland and Woodstock.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 spring reverb 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 Pierre Henry to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Althea and Donna. All the underground hits.
All Sun Ra Arkestra tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sarah Menescal 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Fatback Band record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Henry Cow,
Ultra Naté,
Wolf Eyes,
Scrapy,
U.S. Maple,
Barry Ungar,
Soft Cell,
Y Pants,
Letta Mbulu,
Dennis Brown,
Second Layer,
The Alarm Clocks,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
the Normal,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Aaron Thompson,
Amon Düül II,
Soul II Soul,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
The Move,
Erykah Badu,
Loose Ends,
8 Eyed Spy,
Public Image Ltd.,
Al Stewart,
James White and The Blacks,
Juan Atkins,
Pussy Galore,
The Cowsills,
Q and Not U,
MC5,
The Golliwogs,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Hoover,
The Litter,
Minor Threat,
L. Decosne,
Derrick Morgan,
Freddie Wadling,
Livin' Joy,
Sonic Youth,
Schoolly D,
Make Up,
Liliput,
Frankie Knuckles,
KRS-One,
The Dead C,
Gang of Four,
Scientists,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Basic Channel,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Maleditus Sound,
Organ,
Flamin' Groovies,
Porter Ricks,
Eric Dolphy,
Chris Corsano,
Heaven 17,
Groovy Waters,
Pharoah Sanders, Pharoah Sanders, Pharoah Sanders, Pharoah Sanders.
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.