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 Cape Verde and from Lagos.
But I was there.
I was there in 1962.
I was there at the first Guess Who show in Winnipeg.
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 1967 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bremen and Copenhagen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Shanghai 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 Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the linndrum sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Golliwogs to the grunge 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 the Slits. All the underground hits.
All Faraquet tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Smog 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bill Near record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Evens,
Connie Case,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Black Flag,
Curtis Mayfield,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Lightning Bolt,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Andrew Hill,
Newcleus,
Von Mondo,
Zapp,
Deepchord,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Basic Channel,
The Tremeloes,
The J.B.'s,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Qualms,
Lebanon Hanover,
Gang of Four,
Danielle Patucci,
Ronnie Foster,
Blake Baxter,
Scratch Acid,
Don Cherry,
Rakim,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Nik Kershaw,
The Fuzztones,
Steve Hackett,
Radio Birdman,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Josef K,
FM Einheit,
Gang Green,
Terry Callier,
Mars,
Crispian St. Peters,
Jacob Miller,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Wolf Eyes,
Anthony Braxton,
The Smoke,
Eric Copeland,
Inner City,
Gregory Isaacs,
Little Man,
Faust,
Accadde A,
Television Personalities,
Joyce Sims,
Cecil Taylor,
The Searchers,
Gang Starr,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Lakeside, Lakeside, Lakeside, Lakeside.
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.