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 Mongolia and from Mumbai.
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 1963 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and Woodstock.
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 1965 at the first Beefheart practice in a loft in Lancaster.
I was working on the harpsichord 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 Gang of Four to the grime kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Rufus Thomas. All the underground hits.
All The Dirtbombs tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sound Behaviour record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bootsy's Rubber Band record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Make Up,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
DNA,
The Buckinghams,
The Star Department,
Boz Scaggs,
Dennis Brown,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Darondo,
Chris Corsano,
Echospace,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Yusef Lateef,
the Germs,
Warren Ellis,
Blake Baxter,
Half Japanese,
Soul II Soul,
Swell Maps,
The Blackbyrds,
Excepter,
Black Sheep,
Pussy Galore,
The Invisible,
The Misunderstood,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Au Pairs,
Sister Nancy,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Crispy Ambulance,
Fear,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Aaron Thompson,
D'Angelo,
Patti Smith,
Pylon,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Wolf Eyes,
Aloha Tigers,
Bizarre Inc.,
Arcadia,
Yellowson,
Harry Pussy,
Jawbox,
the Human League,
Kayak,
Banda Bassotti,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Colin Newman,
Morten Harket,
Juan Atkins,
Graham Central Station,
a-ha,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Radiohead,
Scratch Acid,
Eric B and Rakim,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Ornette Coleman, Ornette Coleman, Ornette Coleman, Ornette Coleman.
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.