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 Libya and from Stockholm.
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 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Halifax and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 1983 at the first Bronski Beat practice in a loft in Brixton.
I was working on the theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks to the grunge 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 Rakim. All the underground hits.
All Public Enemy tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Moby Grape record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Ken Boothe,
The Zeros,
B.T. Express,
Pantaleimon,
Infiniti,
The Five Americans,
Das Ding,
Mad Mike,
Bronski Beat,
Cybotron,
This Heat,
Section 25,
Goldenarms,
Minor Threat,
Idris Muhammad,
Soul Sonic Force,
The Fire Engines,
The Smiths,
The Smoke,
the Germs,
The Doors,
Fatback Band,
Flash Fearless,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Cal Tjader,
D'Angelo,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Ronnie Foster,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Leonard Cohen,
The Beau Brummels,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Archie Shepp,
Gabor Szabo,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Audionom,
Joey Negro,
The New Christs,
Kayak,
8 Eyed Spy,
Eve St. Jones,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Dark Day,
Deadbeat,
Massinfluence,
Kerrie Biddell,
Mark Hollis,
cv313,
Babytalk,
Spoonie Gee,
Frankie Knuckles,
Stiv Bators,
Marshall Jefferson,
Outsiders,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Shoche,
the Swans,
OOIOO,
Moebius,
Mr. Review,
Index,
Joy Division,
The Remains,
Gong, Gong, Gong, Gong.
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.