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 Saudi Arabia and from Edmonton.
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 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Halifax and Copenhagen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Lafayette Afro Rock Band to the dance kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Blackbyrds. All the underground hits.
All Dennis Brown tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Junior Murvin record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Lucky Dragons record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Camberwell Now,
Grandmaster Flash,
Amazonics,
Masters at Work,
Livin' Joy,
Dawn Penn,
Matthew Halsall,
Thompson Twins,
the Fania All-Stars,
Audionom,
Cymande,
Clear Light,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Ronnie Foster,
FM Einheit,
The Sound,
Inner City,
Yellowson,
Lungfish,
Wire,
Marine Girls,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Delon & Dalcan,
Minutemen,
Gang Gang Dance,
John Cale,
Popol Vuh,
Ralphi Rosario,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Terry Callier,
The Gladiators,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Frankie Knuckles,
Blancmange,
the Association,
Simply Red,
Metal Thangz,
Lower 48,
Gabor Szabo,
Byron Stingily,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
The Standells,
the Swans,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Henry Cow,
Fatback Band,
Shuggie Otis,
Mark Hollis,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
The Alarm Clocks,
Judy Mowatt,
Soulsonic Force,
The Smiths,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Dennis Brown,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Bobby Womack,
Pet Shop Boys,
Pagans,
Rhythim Is Rhythim, Rhythim Is Rhythim, Rhythim Is Rhythim, Rhythim Is Rhythim.
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.