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 Iceland and from Taipei.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Big Star show in Memphis.
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 1964 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Philadelphia and Paris.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Kayak to the rock kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Shoche. All the underground hits.
All Outsiders tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Banda Bassotti record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Vaughan Mason & Crew record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Nik Kershaw,
John Foxx,
Bill Wells,
Tres Demented,
The Mummies,
A Certain Ratio,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Zero Boys,
The Red Krayola,
David Axelrod,
Archie Shepp,
Main Source,
Graham Central Station,
Hardrive,
Swell Maps,
Bauhaus,
Henry Cow,
48th St. Collective,
Los Fastidios,
Lou Reed,
Fad Gadget,
ABBA,
The Birthday Party,
The Fortunes,
Dark Day,
The Fire Engines,
Ossler,
China Crisis,
Mary Jane Girls,
Minor Threat,
Prince Buster,
Intrusion,
The American Breed,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Goldenarms,
Massinfluence,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
The Last Poets,
Patti Smith,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
The Smiths,
The Slits,
Infiniti,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Jerry's Kids,
Black Sheep,
Ronnie Foster,
Juan Atkins,
Ice-T,
Danielle Patucci,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Terry Callier,
Interpol,
Drive Like Jehu,
Susan Cadogan,
Lightning Bolt,
The Star Department,
Radio Birdman,
Marshall Jefferson,
Japan,
Avey Tare,
Steve Hackett, Steve Hackett, Steve Hackett, Steve Hackett.
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.