Beefeater

Lately I've been getting more interested in earlier Dischord stuff that I haven't really given much of a chance to before, and the next step in my journey is Beefeater, a band active from 1984 to 1986. I once listened to one of their records around the turn of the century, and back then my thoughts were simply 'what the hell is this?'. The band's description on discogs refers to them as a 'punk/post-hardcore band whose music included elements of funk & jazz', which is not a mix usually associated with records that are considered good. And that was firmly my view in the early 2000s. But recently I gave them a chance and I was blown away at how good they are. Next step was to look to see if their records were available to buy for a reasonable price, and the answer was a big 'yes'... so I grabbed two of them.

The debut LP 'Plays For Lovers' was released in 1985 as Dischord 17. I don't really understand the picture on the front cover, but as I am starting to realise, this is a band that basically just did whatever they wanted without worrying what people might think.

The second LP, 'House Burning Down' was released in 1987 as Dichord 23. When you drop the needle, the first thing you hear is some chap talking.

Hi, this is Ian Mackaye of Dischord Records. I'd just like to thank you for choosing this hardcore product.

Then it launches straight into some hardcore funk fusion type song, which on paper sounds terrible, but is actually really good.

I don't usually listen to two records by one band at the same time, but for some reason at the moment I'm finding this band really addictive. I listen to one, it ends, so I put the other one on. Another great example of my tastes changing over time to the point where I almost feel annoyed at myself for dismissing this so quickly 20+ years ago. But hey, at least I'm learning.