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 Rwanda and from Winnipeg.
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 1960 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and London.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manila 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 1976 at the first Feelies practice in a loft in Haledon.
I was working on the chamberlin 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 Aaron Thompson to the rap 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 Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud. All the underground hits.
All Mary Jane Girls tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Marmalade record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Black Bananas record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Index,
Dennis Brown,
Bauhaus,
MC5,
Echospace,
Pagans,
D'Angelo,
The Motions,
OOIOO,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Rites of Spring,
Hardrive,
World's Most,
The Doors,
Harry Pussy,
H. Thieme,
Public Image Ltd.,
Scan 7,
Brand Nubian,
Groovy Waters,
In Retrospect,
Erasure,
Donald Byrd,
Susan Cadogan,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Juan Atkins,
Aloha Tigers,
Siglo XX,
Duran Duran,
Simply Red,
Flamin' Groovies,
Be Bop Deluxe,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
the Swans,
Archie Shepp,
Ornette Coleman,
Eden Ahbez,
Ten City,
Underground Resistance,
Bobby Byrd,
Flash Fearless,
Schoolly D,
Terrestrial Tones,
Depeche Mode,
Fad Gadget,
Warren Ellis,
Oblivians,
Dave Gahan,
Vladislav Delay,
Symarip,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
The Saints,
Thee Headcoats,
CMW,
The Busters,
Graham Central Station,
Sun Ra,
Chris & Cosey,
The Sonics,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Gregory Isaacs,
Barry Ungar, Barry Ungar, Barry Ungar, Barry Ungar.
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.