Beefeater

House Burning Down (1987)
Dischord Records (023) - No Longer Available on LP or CD

A band of frustrated opportunities, noble ambitions that ultimately left you unfulfilled -- but for a time the best live hardcore band in DC and one of my favorite first records (Plays for Lovers). Two LPs was the sum total of their output but their influence was channeled into the first wave of emo (Rites, Happy go Licky, Fidelity Jones).

Tomas - designated "fool", sometimes played naked, hippy-rasta vibe, usually seen in the '80s down by Reagan's house banging drums. Most likely the lyricist which are often sublime - I'll throw some down at the bottom. Still around. Great hardcore singer.

Dug - owl-glassed floppy funky bass player (see also Descendents) with the v. serious studious respect-all-life PETA attitude. Once got into a Maximum R&R letter war over abortion (he wuz against it, everyone else for it). Tomas and Dug later formed Fidelity Jones. Last seen with All Scars. Accomplished computer engineer.

Fred - our hero. Black leather potential Jimi - great when he wasn't drunk, perhaps greater when he was. Just liked the guy more than the other two, nicer, more approachable. Didn't feel like you had to put a hair shirt on just to talk to 'im. Later in the under-rated, under-appreciated Strange Boutique. Shows up for SB reunion shows. Apologizes for anything he said or did while drunk.

Kenny - well, Kenny. Gotta say something nice - great guy, I guess, though I never met 'im. But just plain wrong as a drummer trying to keep up with Dug and Fred. One song ("Insurrection Song") would have been the best song of the album if he hadn't stumbled over the rhythm inna, what, third verse. Not sure if he's still kicking.

Beefeater - first multi-racial Dischord band I know. Don't know why they broke up so soon after forming but I surmise there was probably constant tension between the puritans and the hedonists. ' nuff said.

House Burning Down - trying to push the boundaries of what a Hardcore record was with the comedic Ian MacKaye introduction, the arty interludes, back-ups and so forth from a collective of, again, multi-racial guest artists (cellist Rogelio Maxwell, DC poet M'wile Yaw Askari, Dischord scenester Amy Pickering, Ian's bro Alec MacKaye who sings lead vocals on "With You Always"). As always, stellar production by Don Z of Inner Ear. And all this surrounds some decent but not awesomely great songs.

Ultimately, not a great record but good and an earnest stab at doing something different.

Songs:

Live the Life - a hard rock - reggae cover of gospel artist's Thomas Dorsey's song closes the album suggesting the spiritual underpinnings of Beefeater and the Dischord emo scene in general.

One Soul Down - this is more representative of what I remember of the band live and more evidence of their Christian leanings. Very tight, fast, with the blippin' base and some nice Fred guitar work. short and sweet. Here's the lyrics:

When i looked pon how the poor man died, i swear to you, my body cried
bound against the shooting post, say "i loved you" to your ghost
with black plastic bag around his head, led the brother to his bed
- O my God, help our dizzy souls, we know not what we do

Chorus:
And who did the shooting, and who stood by
And who eased th dead man down, just when he died
And who gave the order, and who obliged
And who stood by watching, as Brotherman died
And who had the callous, presence of mind
To cut the warm bundle, from his final bind?

Seen the body drop like the weight of stone, i can't believe we're so alone
I can't believe that one soul can shoot bullets at a living man
With lifeblood spilling to the ground, a head com falling so far down
- O my God, help our dizzy souls, we know not what we do

Here are some other cuts I found on someone else's site:

With You Always - Faith's Alex MacKaye on vocals
Sinking Me - "Cryin' out loud, you're sinking me"
Bedlam Rainforest - about the years of daily protests in front of the White House

Notes: Recorded, where else, at Inner Ear. All Beefeater records are out of print at Dischord but there was a CD released that combined Plays for Lover with this LP.