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 Finland and from Bologna.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bologna and Beijing.
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 1979 at the first Josef K practice in a loft in Edinburgh.
I was working on the oboe sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Sugar Minott to the techno kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Minny Pops. All the underground hits.
All Frankie Knuckles tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Clear Light record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap 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 marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Smog record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Black Bananas,
Lou Christie,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Quadrant,
the Association,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Wings,
The Gun Club,
John Lydon,
New Age Steppers,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Nirvana,
Frankie Knuckles,
Fugazi,
Quando Quango,
Hoover,
Lindisfarne,
10cc,
Roy Ayers,
Althea and Donna,
The Tremeloes,
The Raincoats,
China Crisis,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Silicon Teens,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Josef K,
Nico,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Ash Ra Tempel,
The Residents,
Faust,
PIL,
Ultravox,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Todd Terry,
Clear Light,
Cal Tjader,
Cecil Taylor,
Joensuu 1685,
Panda Bear,
Audionom,
Jacob Miller,
Marvin Gaye,
Infiniti,
Erasure,
Graham Central Station,
Kenny Larkin,
Gang of Four,
the Soft Cell,
Bobby Byrd,
Fela Kuti,
Monks,
Pagans,
Drive Like Jehu,
Royal Trux,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Scion,
The Moleskins,
Q and Not U,
Colin Newman,
The Victims, The Victims, The Victims, The Victims.
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.