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 Japan and from Seoul.
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 1962 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lyon 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 harpsichord 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 Freddie Wadling to the rock kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Jimmy McGriff. All the underground hits.
All Avey Tare tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Stereo Dub record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a John Holt record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
New York Dolls,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
The Detroit Cobras,
Oblivians,
Zero Boys,
Popol Vuh,
Dead Boys,
Soul II Soul,
Crooked Eye,
Dennis Brown,
Simply Red,
K-Klass,
Neil Young,
Spoonie Gee,
Guru Guru,
Section 25,
John Cale,
Lalann,
Soul Sonic Force,
the Sonics,
The Techniques,
ABC,
Scion,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
The Cramps,
the Fania All-Stars,
Max Romeo,
Maurizio,
Niagra,
a-ha,
Pharoah Sanders,
Terry Callier,
The Saints,
The Toasters,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Nils Olav,
Glambeats Corp.,
Danielle Patucci,
Parry Music,
DJ Style,
CMW,
Connie Case,
Ludus,
In Retrospect,
Mandrill,
Eddi Front,
Buzzcocks,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Kenny Larkin,
The Selecter,
Charles Mingus,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
The Mummies,
Byron Stingily,
Symarip,
Lyres,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Jerry's Kids,
Skarface,
Index,
Scan 7, Scan 7, Scan 7, Scan 7.
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.