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 Algeria and from Paris.
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 1966 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mexico City and Portland.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 1962 at the first Guess Who practice in a loft in Winnipeg.
I was working on the oboe 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 Angry Samoans to the rap kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Joe Smooth. All the underground hits.
All Cal Tjader tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Electric Prunes record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a güiro and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Gong record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Technova,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Jeru the Damaja,
Clear Light,
Dorothy Ashby,
Royal Trux,
Metal Thangz,
The Angels of Light,
Suicide,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
The Music Machine,
The Searchers,
ABC,
the Bar-Kays,
Joe Smooth,
Charles Mingus,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Saccharine Trust,
Soft Machine,
Severed Heads,
Schoolly D,
The Count Five,
the Sonics,
Lungfish,
Country Teasers,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Fear,
Nas,
Blake Baxter,
Pole,
Y Pants,
Underground Resistance,
Magazine,
Matthew Bourne,
Rhythm & Sound,
Graham Central Station,
Thee Headcoats,
Dead Boys,
Lou Reed,
Zero Boys,
Sällskapet,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
X-102,
Ultravox,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Sonny Sharrock,
The American Breed,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Ken Boothe,
Boogie Down Productions,
Ten City,
The Fuzztones,
Dennis Brown,
Boz Scaggs,
Sight & Sound,
Monolake,
Eric B and Rakim,
Jandek,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Michelle Simonal,
The Young Rascals,
Judy Mowatt, Judy Mowatt, Judy Mowatt, Judy Mowatt.
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.