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 Mali and from Lagos.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Second Layer show in South London.
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 1960 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in New York and Houston.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Madrid 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 1971 at the first Big Star practice in a loft in Memphis.
I was working on the clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 David Bowie to the rap kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Juan Atkins. All the underground hits.
All The Velvet Underground tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Scientists record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Gong,
The Remains,
Tears for Fears,
The Smiths,
Maleditus Sound,
Grauzone,
Khruangbin,
The Durutti Column,
Chris & Cosey,
LL Cool J,
Soul Sonic Force,
KRS-One,
E-Dancer,
The Index,
Tropical Tobacco,
Audionom,
Thompson Twins,
Brick,
Joe Finger,
Los Fastidios,
Black Bananas,
Kenny Larkin,
Zero Boys,
Technova,
Whodini,
The Raincoats,
Danielle Patucci,
ABC,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Radio Birdman,
The Happenings,
Pharoah Sanders,
Josef K,
Blancmange,
Kool Moe Dee,
Roy Ayers,
Dead Boys,
Theoretical Girls,
Letta Mbulu,
New Age Steppers,
Neu!,
Alton Ellis,
The Moleskins,
The Selecter,
B.T. Express,
The Slits,
Arab on Radar,
David Axelrod,
Colin Newman,
Fad Gadget,
K-Klass,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Simply Red,
Monks,
Eric B and Rakim,
Althea and Donna,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
The Birthday Party,
Second Layer,
Todd Rundgren,
Reuben Wilson, Reuben Wilson, Reuben Wilson, Reuben Wilson.
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.