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 Dominica and from Copenhagen.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Selda show in Istanbul.
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 1968 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lyon and Cairo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mexico City 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 marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Albert Ayler to the punk kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Teenage Jesus and the Jerks. All the underground hits.
All Joe Smooth tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rhythm & Sound 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bang On A Can record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a chamberlin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bad Manners,
10cc,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Loose Ends,
Fatback Band,
Groovy Waters,
New Order,
Interpol,
Davy DMX,
The Victims,
Maurizio,
Lakeside,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Shuggie Otis,
The Barracudas,
Brothers Johnson,
Amazonics,
Robert Görl,
The Motions,
Moby Grape,
Flamin' Groovies,
Roy Ayers,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Wings,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
The Stooges,
The Alarm Clocks,
Wasted Youth,
X-101,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Duran Duran,
DJ Style,
The Selecter,
Nico,
The Pretty Things,
Peter & Gordon,
MDC,
The Cure,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Essential Logic,
The Beau Brummels,
Isaac Hayes,
Terry Callier,
Frankie Knuckles,
Quantec,
The Slits,
Public Image Ltd.,
Gang Green,
The Slackers,
The Human League,
Gang Starr,
The Modern Lovers,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Eric B and Rakim,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Mr. Review,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
The Gun Club,
Royal Trux,
Barry Ungar,
Amon Düül II,
Ultimate Spinach,
Dual Sessions, Dual Sessions, Dual Sessions, Dual Sessions.
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.