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Big Geezer Butler fan

#81
blue4 said:
I have to admit that even though I am a very big fan of Geezer, it just not the same without Bill Ward. I like the stuff that they've done without him, but it sounds so ordinary compared to the stuff with him. There are certain guys who always sound better when playing with their "other half". To me anyways.
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There's tons of great drummers out there but there's only one Bill Ward. It's a matter of style. Brad Wilks did a professional job on the 13 album but to me his playing sounded really 'safe' for lack of a better word, maybe even 'plain'.

If they record again I really hope Bill is in the fold. For me it's just not Sabbath without him even though 13 turned out great.
 
#82
It really is a shame that all four members couldn't get it together for the album and touring. Ozzy says Bill's not "cutting it" anymore, but Bill says they gave him a raw deal. Whatever the truth is, it's not Black Sabbath without Bill Ward.
 
#83
All true, Bill Ward IS Black Sabbath. But was Black Sabbath not Black Sabbath when they fired Ozzy and brought in Ronnie James Dio? I think this band somehow escapes the rule. Not sure how they do it myself but I can name plenty of bands that fell off the shelf...

Biggest fan of Bill Ward BTW, amazing player (epecially if you watch clips of him playing live you'll see how he pushes the songs, all the dynamics, adds flare and drama etc.). Unfortunately, there's definitely some bitnerness going on due to bad business. And that's a shame.

I mentioned earlier I thought Brad Wilk played solid and held his own, but I can totally see why people saying he "played it safe". Stepping into Bill Ward's vacant shoes, probably not easy. Im glad they went with Wilk rather than an overly busy player that couldnt hold down the thunder. Main thing about 13 is the songs are good. I dont skip songs, I rewind, which is one sign of a good album to me.
 
#84
best pic of Geezer ever



geezer01.jpg


name this bass VVV and where can i buy a jacket like that?

bfmn-heaven-and-hell-geezer-butler.jpg
 
#87
Clouz said:
best pic of Geezer ever



geezer01.jpg


name this bass VVV and where can i buy a jacket like that?

bfmn-heaven-and-hell-geezer-butler.jpg
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That must be either an old model, or custom model, of the Yamaha BB range. The body is like a BB1024X without the pickguard. The VVT controls are unusual as well, as it is usually Vol, Tone and a 3-way switch... The bridge looks quite high mass compared to the stock bridges on these models.

Yamaha made custom BB basses for James Lomenzo;

lomenzo_header.jpg


And Glenn Hughes;

yamaha-glenn-hughes.jpg



...so it is possible that Geezer had this made specifically for him.
 
#91
Clouz said:
best pic of Geezer ever



geezer01.jpg
Click to expand...

That is Geezer's first P bass. It was not destroyed by US customs, as sometimes reported.

I've seen pictures of it recently. Somebody contacted me, via Youtube, claiming to own this bass. I was sent pics of a pre-CBS P-bass with a stripped finish. Some of the knots in the body (or wear maybe?) checked out with the video footage I could find of this bass. Same bass? Who knows. The individual was not for selling it, and my inbox died a death a few years back meaning I lost everything. One of the lecturers at my university had a stripped pre-CBS P-bass, so they are not that uncommon. A bloke I sold a Laney amp to had another...

Maybe this is a weird aspect of British culture? My Grandfather had, no joke, a Grandfather clock. It would have been considered an antique, but at some point he stripped the original finish and gave it the rough sandpaper and varnish treatment. I've seen this with a lot of furniture here in the UK. I think it must be symptomatic of post-war austerity that everybody tried to 'fix' their stuff by brush-varnishing it. Geezer's original P bass was probably starting to show wear (relic-ing in this day and age) so he, or a prior owner, decided to strip and hand-varnish the thing I imagine. Totally contrary to current-day thought about vintage instrument finishes.
 
#97
thedovewarlord said:
All true, Bill Ward IS Black Sabbath. But was Black Sabbath not Black Sabbath when they fired Ozzy and brought in Ronnie James Dio? I think this band somehow escapes the rule. Not sure how they do it myself but I can name plenty of bands that fell off the shelf...

Biggest fan of Bill Ward BTW, amazing player (epecially if you watch clips of him playing live you'll see how he pushes the songs, all the dynamics, adds flare and drama etc.). Unfortunately, there's definitely some bitterness going on due to bad business. And that's a shame.

I mentioned earlier I thought Brad Wilk played solid and held his own, but I can totally see why people saying he "played it safe". Stepping into Bill Ward's vacant shoes, probably not easy. Im glad they went with Wilk rather than an overly busy player that couldnt hold down the thunder. Main thing about 13 is the songs are good. I dont skip songs, I rewind, which is one sign of a good album to me.
Click to expand...

I actually loved the Dio version of Sabbath there were some really great tunes on Heaven and Hell and the Mob Rules and later on Dehumanizer and The Devil You Know

I just picked up the latest DVD "Gathered in their Masses" and Geezer can be seen playing his Signature Model Lakland on Several Songs....
 
#98
When i listened to the first Black Sabbath album for the first time AFTER i started playing bass, Geezer hit me like a sledgehammer.
I'd say he's the only bassplayer around who really influenced me. I still do most of my playing with the neck PU soloed (or on a P Bass) and the right hand over the fretboard and his style on the first Black Sabbath album got me into that thing.
 
#99
el murdoque said:
When i listened to the first Black Sabbath album for the first time AFTER i started playing bass, Geezer hit me like a sledgehammer.
I'd say he's the only bassplayer around who really influenced me. I still do most of my playing with the neck PU soloed (or on a P Bass) and the right hand over the fretboard and his style on the first Black Sabbath album got me into that thing.
Click to expand...

Somewhere around 1969 or 70, I was in high school and went to see Grand Funk Railroad at the Los Angeles Forum. Black Sabbath opened for GFR and ROCKED! Geezer was fantastic and stole the show. It was the first time I ever heard a "bass solo" and I was blown away by it.
 

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