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 Romania and from Seoul.
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 1964 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 New Age Steppers to the techno kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Amon Düül. All the underground hits.
All Gian Franco Pienzio tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Pretty Things 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Smog,
June Days,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Shuggie Otis,
Radio Birdman,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Todd Rundgren,
Thompson Twins,
The Dead C,
The Sonics,
David Bowie,
Swans,
Steve Hackett,
Eurythmics,
The Pop Group,
Matthew Bourne,
A Certain Ratio,
Porter Ricks,
Basic Channel,
Howard Jones,
Visage,
Mantronix,
Gastr Del Sol,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Eli Mardock,
Grey Daturas,
Marshall Jefferson,
The Sound,
The Human League,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Nation of Ulysses,
The Detroit Cobras,
Jawbox,
Los Fastidios,
Aural Exciters,
L. Decosne,
Dark Day,
The Motions,
Scan 7,
Funky Four + One,
the Sonics,
The Real Kids,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Siglo XX,
Monks,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Kerrie Biddell,
Scratch Acid,
Nico,
Deakin,
the Germs,
8 Eyed Spy,
The Grass Roots,
Crash Course in Science,
Derrick Morgan,
Kaleidoscope,
Inner City,
Trumans Water,
John Lydon,
Arthur Verocai,
Mission of Burma,
Yellowson,
Nick Fraelich,
Sam Rivers, Sam Rivers, Sam Rivers, Sam Rivers.
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.