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 Samoa and from Accra.
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 1969 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mexico City and Madrid.
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 1968 at the first Bowie practice in a loft in Bromley.
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 Clear Light to the punk 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 Cecil Taylor. All the underground hits.
All The Skatalites tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Remains record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a AZ record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Nirvana,
Surgeon,
The Detroit Cobras,
Skarface,
Robert Görl,
Ultimate Spinach,
The Remains,
Basic Channel,
Kaleidoscope,
Goldenarms,
Wasted Youth,
Pylon,
Soul II Soul,
Lightning Bolt,
Patti Smith,
The Pop Group,
Tres Demented,
The Neon Judgement,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
The Smiths,
Yazoo,
Pussy Galore,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Alton Ellis,
Cameo,
Cheater Slicks,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Scientists,
Bad Manners,
Althea and Donna,
Warsaw,
Khruangbin,
B.T. Express,
Make Up,
Warren Ellis,
Max Romeo,
The Saints,
Average White Band,
World's Most,
Gang Gang Dance,
Hashim,
Erasure,
The Offenders,
Mo-Dettes,
Eddi Front,
Eve St. Jones,
Harmonia,
Wolf Eyes,
Shuggie Otis,
Schoolly D,
Bill Wells,
Terrestrial Tones,
Frankie Knuckles,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Bootsy Collins,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Gong,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Mad Mike, Mad Mike, Mad Mike, Mad Mike.
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.