LCD Soundsystem - "Losing My Edge"

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I'd had a few drinks, and I have only heard it once........erm now I'm scared it mightnt have been it. bah it must have been.

― Ronan, Thursday, 1 August 2002 00:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

Mind you Ronan I've only heard Alex Gopher's french house singles so if he does anything significantly different to that you might well be right.

― Tim, Thursday, 1 August 2002 00:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

Finally picked up the four DFA singles after having a couple tracks on MP3 and still think the Geist version of "House of Jealous Lovers" is the best of all. (I would say that, wouldn't I?) After that it's probably "Beat Connection" and then one or two of the Juan Maclean productions.

Boy, the last few Six Finger Satellite records still sound great/annoying.

― Andy K, Saturday, 3 August 2002 00:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

i have listened to the whole song now. it's ok. i was expecting more of a music switch near the end from what was said above. feels similar to 'instant club hit' Best lyric is "borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered 80's". i think i would like it more if i had met somebody like whom they are describing. 8 mins is a bit long to listen to casio beat, but i agree it probably wouldn't work much shorter.

― Ron, Saturday, 3 August 2002 00:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

"Tim, since when bongos are jungle/drum and bass?!"

Most of the D&B breaks used after the genre ditched the "Jungle" term/techniques were from "The Incredible Bongo Band's" version of "Apache" (not that this question was literal...)

― Joe aka PappaWheelie (Joe aka PappaWheelie), Saturday, 14 September 2002 06:58 (10 years ago) Permalink

According to Epitonic:

"To get a good idea of the LCD's sound one must imagine Daft Punk, Chic and the Talking Heads in the back room of a seedy NYC dive engaged in an anything-goes sexathon circa 1978."

― Mr Swygart (mrswygart), Saturday, 14 September 2002 08:42 (10 years ago) Permalink

Only (with all respect) about a hundredth as good.

"Beat Connection" is excellent.

― Tom (Groke), Saturday, 14 September 2002 08:44 (10 years ago) Permalink

In all seriousness, I don't think anything could be that good.

I'm being serious.

― A.V. Alexandre (Keiko), Saturday, 14 September 2002 13:46 (10 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

he pronounces rakim wrong

― ron (ron), Monday, 4 November 2002 06:24 (10 years ago) Permalink

Anyone heard the new single yet?

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 4 November 2002 14:43 (10 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

the juan maclean single is really good i think

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 23 January 2003 11:54 (10 years ago) Permalink

11 months pass...

This is the greatest goddamn 12-inch I've heard in a LONG LONG time. I can't stop playing it. Yes I know I'm about a year and a half too late. I don't care. All together now: "AND NOBODY'S GETTING ANY PLAY!!! IT'S THE SADDEST NIGHT OUT IN THE U.S.A.!!!"

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Saturday, 10 January 2004 08:02 (9 years ago) Permalink

Did anyone pick up the Shame 69/Negativland 7", 'No Business'? It's madshit hilarious; the Negativland side cuts up 'No Business Like Show Business', dropping new lyrics about artistic thievery. The Shame 69 is a cover of 'Losing My Edge', apparently by my man, Richard X, and includes lyrics about paedophilia and Gary Glitter, which ain't a necessarily cool subject, but I bust a gut anyway.

― Barima (Barima), Saturday, 10 January 2004 14:16 (9 years ago) Permalink

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Saturday, 10 January 2004 15:42 (9 years ago) Permalink

"I heard you have a vinyl of every _____ record, on German import"

If I told you what the blanks are, the song becomes personal self-fulfilling prophecy, doncha know!! "It took me YEARS to find out what he's saying, you think I'ma tell you, twerpy internet seeker?"

― Dr. Annabel Lies (Michael Kelly), Saturday, 10 January 2004 20:54 (9 years ago) Permalink

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 France and from London.
But I was there.

I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Can show in Cologne.
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 1962 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.

voice one: To all the kids in Tokyo and Berlin.
voice two: I'm losing my edge to the art-school Brooklynites in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered eighties.

But I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge, but I was there.
I was there.
But I was there.

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 1974 at the first Suicide practices in a loft in New York City.
I was working on the organ 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 Daft Punk to the rock kids.
I played it at CBGBs.
Everybody thought I was crazy.
We all know.
I was there.
I was there.
I've never been wrong.

I used to work in the record store.
I had everything before anyone.
I was there in the Paradise Garage DJ booth with Larry Levan.
I was there in Jamaica during the great sound clashes.
I woke up naked on the beach in Ibiza in 1988.

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 Beach Boys. All the underground hits. All the Modern Lovers tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Niagra record on German import. I heard that you have a white label of every seminal Detroit techno 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 a synthesizer and an arpeggiator and are throwing your computer out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Yaz record.

I hear that you and your band have sold your guitars and bought turntables.
I hear that you and your band have sold your turntables and bought guitars.

I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.

But have you seen my records? This Heat, Pere Ubu, Outsiders, Nation of Ulysses, M|A|R|R|S, The Trojans, The Black Dice, Todd Terry, the Germs, Section 25, Althea and Donna, Sexual Harrassment, a-ha, Pere Ubu, Dorothy Ashby, PIL, the Fania All-Stars, the Bar-Kays, the Human League, the Normal, Lou Reed, Scott Walker, Monks, Niagra,

voice one: Joy Division, Lower 48, the Association, Sun Ra, [unintelligible]
voice two: Scientists, Royal Trux, 10cc,

Eric B. and Rakim, Index, Basic Channel, Soulsonic Force ("just hit me"!), Juan Atkins, [unintelligible], David Axelrod, Electric Prunes, Gil! Scott! Heron!, the Slits, Faust, Mantronix, Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines, the Swans, the Soft Cell, the Sonics, the Sonics, the Sonics, the Sonics.

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.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Sunday, 11 January 2004 01:37 (9 years ago) Permalink

Oh, and the guy mutters "What just happened?" after the last "You don't know what you really want."

Now, if somebody could just fill in the [unintelligible]s...

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Sunday, 11 January 2004 01:39 (9 years ago) Permalink

I'm sure it's probably mars rather than M/A/R/R/S. Otherwise Well done (if you worked this out) and a HUGE THANKS.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 11 January 2004 04:26 (9 years ago) Permalink

...also no need to capitalise Daft Punk, i dont think.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 11 January 2004 04:34 (9 years ago) Permalink

YOu know, it never occurred to me that he didn't actually mean the band Daft Punk!! But it makes sense, (chrono)logically. I assumed it was a meta-reference the disco punk thing, ie playing disco to punk kids

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Sunday, 11 January 2004 04:42 (9 years ago) Permalink

I'm not gonna kiss you, Mr. Snrub, but y'all done good.

"I'm losing myself"

― Barima (Barima), Sunday, 11 January 2004 13:02 (9 years ago) Permalink

I think you're right. Daft Punk sure as hell never got big in America by being played at CBGB's. Do they even play that kind of music at CBGB's?? I wouldn't know, I've never been there.

Same with the M|A|R|R|S/Mars deal. It's definitely the latter, because a lot of the other bands he mentions (Pere Ubu, PIL, Lou Reed) are post-punky, not house.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Sunday, 11 January 2004 17:04 (9 years ago) Permalink

Plus theres an LCD track called (or known as) "Daft Punk Are Playing at My House" and he sure aint talkin about the frenchband.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 11 January 2004 17:14 (9 years ago) Permalink

sorry
"Daft Punk IS Playing IN My House"

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 11 January 2004 17:16 (9 years ago) Permalink

I don't get it. why would he use the name Daft Punk if he wasn't referring to the band?

― Elliot (Elliot), Sunday, 11 January 2004 18:07 (9 years ago) Permalink

it's gotta be the band!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 11 January 2004 18:08 (9 years ago) Permalink

I mean "playing daft punk to the rock kids"--why would that be unusual unless it was the band daft punk?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 11 January 2004 18:08 (9 years ago) Permalink

I know!

― Elliot (Elliot), Sunday, 11 January 2004 18:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

totally!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 11 January 2004 18:10 (9 years ago) Permalink

Is it a slow day up north there?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 11 January 2004 18:14 (9 years ago) Permalink

you have no idea, brah

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 11 January 2004 18:15 (9 years ago) Permalink

Well, take off, eh?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 11 January 2004 18:15 (9 years ago) Permalink

Plus theres an LCD track called (or known as) "Daft Punk Are Playing at My House"

And WHY have I never heard of it before now!?!?!??!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Sunday, 11 January 2004 18:39 (9 years ago) Permalink

it's never been released but you can find it online - if you can't just let me know.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 11 January 2004 19:23 (9 years ago) Permalink

it might be called Bitchfight.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 11 January 2004 19:32 (9 years ago) Permalink

He's talking about the band Daft Punk.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Sunday, 11 January 2004 19:38 (9 years ago) Permalink

Of course he's fucking talking about Daft Punk the band! Even if he wasn't he'd have to have never heard of them to include it as a lyric.

Isn't Laurent Garnier in the lyric to Losing My Edge somewhere?

― Ronan (Ronan), Sunday, 11 January 2004 19:43 (9 years ago) Permalink

Maybe he was talking about the Melody Maker review of the band Darlin' which called them 'daft punk' which led to the ex-members calling their new band that which etc.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 11 January 2004 19:58 (9 years ago) Permalink

hahahhah

― Elliot (Elliot), Sunday, 11 January 2004 20:14 (9 years ago) Permalink

this is a design company. pretty funny: http://www.associatesinscience.com/

― JaXoN (JasonD), Sunday, 11 January 2004 20:19 (9 years ago) Permalink

jesus, that almost blew up my speakers. anyone else get a weird low sub-bass hum when they went to that site?

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Sunday, 11 January 2004 20:21 (9 years ago) Permalink

wifey freaked out when it was on. told me to mute the computer or she'd mute my face

― JaXoN (JasonD), Sunday, 11 January 2004 20:25 (9 years ago) Permalink

I'm sitting here with my pro studio monitors and computer running through a pro interface and everything, really clear and loud, and my teeth were shaking. And it stayed on even if you clicked on one of the videos. weird.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Sunday, 11 January 2004 20:30 (9 years ago) Permalink

i think the last line is actually "we all know what you really want."
and he is referring to daft punk the band in the other song - it's a what-if kind of scenario about a kid who saved up enough $ to get them over to play his house party in the suburbs.

― lauren (laurenp), Sunday, 11 January 2004 21:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

I was that guy. Or at least I can sympathise.

― Ronan (Ronan), Sunday, 11 January 2004 21:24 (9 years ago) Permalink

I heard you have a vinyl of every Niagra record on German import.

like this one here, on ebay right now!!

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 16 January 2004 04:54 (9 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

I've been reading William Empson, and the idea of 'daft punk' *not* meaning Daft Punk on 'Losing My Edge' is genius.

― NRQ, Thursday, 17 February 2005 09:55 (8 years ago) Permalink

uh?

― Alienus Quam Reproba (blueski), Thursday, 17 February 2005 10:29 (8 years ago) Permalink

it's a case of empson's second variety of ambiguity, where the ambiguity is resolved eventually. playing 'daft punk' to rock kids at cbgbs in the context of the song could just mean playing the ramones in 1975. but it could also mean playing daft punk at some point in the late 90s. both things being epochal. the eventual resolution is, i guess, that we know that murphy intended the 'ambiguity', it's a case of 'clever wording, cheers'.

― NRQ, Thursday, 17 February 2005 10:34 (8 years ago) Permalink

so not really 'genius' then? (sorry i just get so irked by the over-use of that term)

― Alienus Quam Reproba (blueski), Thursday, 17 February 2005 10:37 (8 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 99 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

quite shocked re whineys declaration of love for the shocking pinks album up there.
never made it to the end of that album before i hit the eject button.

― mark e, Friday, 23 March 2012 11:16 (1 year ago) Permalink

Song about feeling old succeeds in making you feel old.

― And I have been called "The Appetite" (DL), Friday, 23 March 2012 11:18 (1 year ago) Permalink

I was young when it came out! I was one of them-there 'internet seekers'! With a playlist of every good song, by every good band, ever! I'm probably the same age now as Murphy was when it was recorded.

― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Friday, 23 March 2012 11:21 (1 year ago) Permalink

Wikipedia tells me that Murphy is 9 years older than me, so that was a pretty good guess.

― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Friday, 23 March 2012 11:24 (1 year ago) Permalink

personal crisis starts hear. i remember dancing to this at my first Glastonbury (I was there!)

― Scary Move 4 (dog latin), Friday, 23 March 2012 11:53 (1 year ago) Permalink

starts hear?

― Scary Move 4 (dog latin), Friday, 23 March 2012 11:57 (1 year ago) Permalink

ha yeah i can never get that Piven "TEN (horn honk!) YEARS!" thing out of my head when a decade's gone by.

― piscesx, Friday, 23 March 2012 12:26 (1 year ago) Permalink

always preferred the B side but then that's a classic indie tossbag thing that 'the kids' on the actual song might say.

― piscesx, Friday, 23 March 2012 12:28 (1 year ago) Permalink

Was just talking about this with a friend last night, but I misremembered this as having come out 2003. Now I feel older than I already did.

― like a musical album. made by a band. (fucking in the streets), Friday, 23 March 2012 16:39 (1 year ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

"Memmmmmmmmmories..."

http://stereogum.com/1087342/losing-my-edge-turns-10/top-stories/

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 10 July 2012 18:20 (10 months ago) Permalink

Almost a tween.

― Jeff, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 12:56 (10 months ago) Permalink

Nice article, although everyone I know pronounces it I-beetha or Ib-eetha - is it different in the States?

― Scary Move 4 (dog latin), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:46 (10 months ago) Permalink

most ppl I know say Ih-bee-zah unless they've actually been there

― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:00 (10 months ago) Permalink

"I once wrote an entire paragraph about how people pronounce 'Ibiza' without researching it"

― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:14 (10 months ago) Permalink

that is a very good article. i especially like the quotes from james murphy discussing how the song was born of his own fears about the declining social value of music knowledge in an era of "internet seekers" who can track down obscure information relatively easily. the song is definitely a landmark.

― Pat Finn, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:54 (10 months ago) Permalink

The Ibeza/Ibetha paragraph had me shaking my head, I haven't heard eye-bee-za since my teenaged brother proclaimed he was 'into trance' and bought a FSoL CD

― is capybara gay? (Ówen P.), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 16:26 (10 months ago) Permalink

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