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 Japan and from Delhi.
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 1966 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and Tokyo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Hong Kong 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 güiro 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 The Peanut Butter Conspiracy to the grime 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 a-ha. All the underground hits.
All The Toasters tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Angels of Light & Akron/Family 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 harpsichord and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ken Boothe record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Desert Stars,
Fat Boys,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Black Flag,
Pulsallama,
Accadde A,
Siglo XX,
the Swans,
Eli Mardock,
Todd Terry,
Talk Talk,
The Fire Engines,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Ten City,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Electric Prunes,
Amon Düül,
Porter Ricks,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Colin Newman,
Eric B and Rakim,
Tubeway Army,
Rufus Thomas,
Angry Samoans,
Marc Almond,
Von Mondo,
Amazonics,
Fad Gadget,
Tres Demented,
Morten Harket,
Clear Light,
The Moleskins,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Donald Byrd,
Pet Shop Boys,
Mo-Dettes,
Gang Gang Dance,
Reuben Wilson,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Y Pants,
Bill Wells,
Kerrie Biddell,
Bang On A Can,
The Motions,
The Neon Judgement,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Joensuu 1685,
Scion,
Funky Four + One,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Jacob Miller,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Radio Birdman,
Dual Sessions,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Echospace,
DJ Style,
Warsaw,
The Standells,
Yellowson,
Delon & Dalcan,
Mary Jane Girls,
Pierre Henry, Pierre Henry, Pierre Henry, Pierre Henry.
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.