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A Rare Talent

The ability to recognise samples,
to pinpoint the source of a sound
that slides from left to right speaker
under the drum track, under the bass,
weaving between the snare and the hi-hat
and is gone in an instant,
and reference such sounds,
to be able to say with confidence
that it's a five-second grab
from the opening track
on Duck Rock, Malcolm McLaren's
1983 experimental world music opus,
and to be able to go further,
to cite the two hit singles that came
from that album, or to be able to
recite an amusing anecdote from
the days when he was the manager
of the Sex Pistols - this ability,
while undeniably interesting
in and of itself, and while it might
even be considered to be entertaining,
and even though it is a truly
unjust reflection of the time and effort
you have expended in order to possess
it, this ability will be of absolutely no use
to you in that job interview next week.

© Adam Ford 2001

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