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 Uruguay and from Tokyo.
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 1965 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Delhi 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the arpeggiator 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 Tropical Tobacco to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Minutemen. All the underground hits.
All The Vogues tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Model 500 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 '70s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a the Germs record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Michelle Simonal,
Goldenarms,
David Bowie,
Pantaleimon,
Barclay James Harvest,
John Foxx,
Young Marble Giants,
Theoretical Girls,
Drexciya,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Tommy Roe,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Alison Limerick,
Chris & Cosey,
The Toasters,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Jandek,
Mad Mike,
Tropical Tobacco,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Bizarre Inc.,
the Germs,
Newcleus,
Harry Pussy,
the Fania All-Stars,
Eli Mardock,
Al Stewart,
Swell Maps,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Godley & Creme,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
James White and The Blacks,
Underground Resistance,
The Saints,
Ronnie Foster,
Silicon Teens,
Saccharine Trust,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
cv313,
Jacob Miller,
The New Christs,
Sonny Sharrock,
The Kinks,
Steve Hackett,
Brass Construction,
The Grass Roots,
The Names,
Hashim,
Todd Rundgren,
PIL,
Fatback Band,
Con Funk Shun,
The Fugs,
Sister Nancy,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Organ,
This Heat,
The Young Rascals,
Josef K,
Sight & Sound,
The Moleskins,
Thee Headcoats, Thee Headcoats, Thee Headcoats, Thee Headcoats.
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.