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 Botswana and from Lagos.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Toronto and London.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Charles Mingus to the funk kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Five Americans. All the underground hits.
All The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Victims 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 a theremin and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Vladislav Delay record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Alice Coltrane,
The Litter,
Roxy Music,
Dawn Penn,
Letta Mbulu,
Gregory Isaacs,
Pole,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Dave Gahan,
Zapp,
Nils Olav,
Al Stewart,
Slick Rick,
UT,
FM Einheit,
The American Breed,
Cal Tjader,
James White and The Blacks,
Mr. Review,
PIL,
The Golliwogs,
Niagra,
Warren Ellis,
Skaos,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Loose Ends,
Amon Düül,
Skarface,
Monks,
Wolf Eyes,
Slave,
Fluxion,
Derrick Morgan,
Pulsallama,
Maurizio,
Negative Approach,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Lakeside,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Moebius,
Talk Talk,
Agitation Free,
Quantec,
Susan Cadogan,
The Durutti Column,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Isaac Hayes,
The Evens,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Maleditus Sound,
Hasil Adkins,
Urselle,
Sex Pistols,
Godley & Creme,
These Immortal Souls,
Minny Pops,
The Doobie Brothers,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Mars,
Frankie Knuckles,
Roy Ayers, Roy Ayers, Roy Ayers, Roy Ayers.
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.