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 Costa Rica and from Calgary.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Feelies show in Haledon.
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 1969 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Edmonton and Portland.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Stockholm 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 Nile Rodgers 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 The Buckinghams to the funk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Scientists. All the underground hits.
All Amon Düül tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Birthday Party record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk 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 mellotron and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Organ,
The Techniques,
Porter Ricks,
Black Pus,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
X-102,
Skriet,
the Bar-Kays,
David Axelrod,
Ten City,
OOIOO,
Metal Thangz,
Angry Samoans,
The Real Kids,
The Offenders,
Crooked Eye,
Ludus,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Adolescents,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Gregory Isaacs,
Goldenarms,
Flash Fearless,
Dark Day,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
The Misunderstood,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Cheater Slicks,
Michelle Simonal,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Tomorrow,
Shuggie Otis,
Boogie Down Productions,
Amon Düül II,
Television Personalities,
Amazonics,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Junior Murvin,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Alton Ellis,
Reuben Wilson,
Avey Tare,
The Pop Group,
Deepchord,
Donny Hathaway,
The Five Americans,
Public Enemy,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Byron Stingily,
Soul II Soul,
Panda Bear,
Lightning Bolt,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Magazine,
Sonny Sharrock,
Flamin' Groovies,
D'Angelo,
Essential Logic,
MC5,
Heaven 17, Heaven 17, Heaven 17, Heaven 17.
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.