Go GEEZER! GO!

[Tenstrum]

I've been relistening to Ozzmosis here lately and have rediscovered how much I enjoy Geezer's playing on that album. Especially on "Perry Mason", he really jams on that one! Not to mention some of his past work isn't too bad either... And I also think it's one of Ozzy's best albums to date!

 

Just thought I'd share...

[EddiePlaysBass]

I totally dig Geezer !! His tone, his playing ... I should practice more Sabbath tunes

[Fred TBP]

From the first album, Geezer was destined for greatness!

[ChrisOfDoom]

If nobody else is going to......

 

gEEzEr RuLeZ.

 

Fairies wear boots is my favorite.

[LOWBOY]

"WHAT IS THIS THAT STANDS BEFORE ME,

FIGURE IN BLACK THAT POINTS AT ME..."

 

great bassist

great songwriter

number one on my long list of influences

 

all hail the IRON MAN

[Mike Bear]

OH man, Geezer rules. I just picked up the new Bass Guitar magazine, and it says he uses 6 SVT II's. Now, I think the man is very freaking hardcore. Though I think he'd be more hardcore if he moved his own rigs around.

[moot]

One of my earliest influences - The Man, The Myth, The Geez.

He took the K.I.S.S. factor (keep it simple stupid) to new levels with simplistic, effectively rock-ous lines. Some of his lines on Paranoid still make me laugh.

[Tenstrum]

Originally posted by mattulator:

He took the K.I.S.S. factor (keep it simple stupid) to new levels with simplistic, effectively rock-ous lines. Some of his lines on Paranoid still make me laugh.

I think if you tried to play anything more complex on Paranoid, it'd sound like sh*t!

From what I understand, they wrote that song in 5 minutes and was only supposed to be an album filler.

I've have played Paranoid many many many many times...

[moot]

I think if you tried to play anything more complex on Paranoid, it'd sound like sh*t!

No argument here! The laughter comes from recognizing the sheer brilliance of the man.

[Rick Hoffman]

Geezer was one of my early influences for bass, like most of us metal heads. I've come to appreciate other styles because of his licks, very bluesy but dark and dissonant. He certainly fulfilled his role for Black Sabbath.

 

I recently watched a Sabbath bootleg at Steve's house(singer of my other non-metal band), of an early concert in Paris in 1970, right after Paranoid came out. It was a good quality bootleg, I think it was even aired in Britain because it had credits and a "break" and stuff like that.

 

Watching Geezer play live upclose was pretty damn cool. He was playing an old P bass, plucking with all 3 fingers right over the neck when he was really goin. Awesome sound, too. He is DEFINATELY a good "feel" player.

 

Sabbath had a cool stage presence too, very doomy. Gotta love it, living up to the name and all. Ozzy was trippin in the video, you could tell.

[Tom Capasso]

OK - it must be me. I don't see what is so "simple" about Paranoid. The climbing accent riff isn't that hard, and the driving notes (8ths?) do their job. But the genius of the man is in the walk down after the 4th bar of the main phrase. I struggle to do that and still get back to the E to cleanly get those 8th notes going again.

 

I still find myself drawn to "Wicked World" (from the first album). Lots of great playing from ole Geez.

 

dcr must be busy - he likes these threads.

 

Tom

[Tenstrum]

I think by "simple", we are refering to that versus something "complex" by say Victor Wooten. It's all relative terms. I cut my teeth on some early Sabbath and Maiden. I was a speed freak when I first started, but then realized that my own personal style was a bit slower...

 

I do enjoy Geezer's playing. Used to play NIB as well. Never did quite get that little solo run down at the beginning. I wonder if Geez played it note for note or if he improvised each time he played it...

[Fred TBP]

The first time I saw Motorhead (TV) I mistook Lemmy for Geezer, before I realized Lemmy was using a Rick instead of a Fender P.

 

But it begs the question: who came first, Lemmy or Geezer? And who would survive a Battle of the Bands? Think about it.

PS: someday I'd like to get Tommy I's solo sound in "Paranoid". C'set magnifique! When will they name a pedal after him?

[Rick Hoffman]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/JWHNY/butler.jpg

[Mike Bear]

One thing I always loved about Geezers playing was his authority to dictate the harmony of the song. If you listen to "Into The Void" and other such songs, he can double the guitar most of the time and still play against it. One note here, one there.

 

Oh Yes, in theory much of Geezers bass lines are simple. But that's a very silly way to think. After all, are any of us Geezer, had any of us written these simple bass lines and come up in a band that none paralleled at the time style wise?

 

We must not forget the Dio era Sabbath. "Neon Knights" has some very tasty licks. Here is a man who's comfortable with his position as a bass player, the "simple" bass line during the verse of "Heaven and Hell" is very effective and great to sing over. Plus, what a better opertunity to throw the horns up to the crowd? The song has so much power because of just the bass and drums. I bet most singers would wish they had that mush space to croon over.

 

Now everyone go break out "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and kick back.

[butcherNburn]

If it wasn't for him I never would have picked up bass. 2 songs, NIB (it cannot be listened to without bsssically) and Paranoid, got me in this wonderful mess.

 

Some people may look at Sabbath's early years as simplistic but... Simple isn't always easy, and duplicating it can be almost impossible. Almost everyone that thinks they finally can play Paranoid

for the first time is usually wrong.

 

So much of Sabbath's music has you wondering how so much music can come from 3 instruments, that is truly the mark of a briliant bassplayer. It doesn't matter what the others are doing (in that context), if the bass isn't magical, the rest is dead.

Also, so many people don't realize how many of Sabbath's signiture songs were penned by him.

[Mike Bear]

Funny coincidence, my first student today asked to learn how to play "Heaven And Hell".

 

Sorry by the way for my double posts. I don't know what's up.

[dcr]

Originally posted by Tom Capasso:

dcr must be busy - he likes these threads.

Nah, just dang ol' busted caps lock, man.

 

Enough kidding around. I'm going to have to dig some Geezer.

[ZZ Thorn]

Geezer rocks, and he did write a bunch of those great Sabbath songs. Sometimes his bass is simple and heavy, and sometimes it's complex and heavy, like on "Fairies Wear Boots."

 

To me complex usually takes a major backseat to feel, and Geezer had a great, great feel. I didn't get into Sabbath until a few years ago and was surprised at how blues-influenced Geezer is.

[Eric VB]

I don't think I've listened to Sabbath since "Iron Man". I'll have to give those tunes you guys mentioned a spin. Thanks for the pointers!

 

Oh, btw, "Iron Man" was a great song for a newbie bass player to learn. Not too hard and instantly recognizable.

[Fred TBP]

Originally posted by Mike Bear:

Now everyone go break out "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and kick back.

THAT'S a sound I want to sample; the bridge part where he cranks up the distortion and the Ozzman screeches into another octave. You can almost see the army of darkness rising from their graves.

[Tenstrum]

Originally posted by Fred the bass player:

THAT'S a sound I want to sample; the bridge part where he cranks up the distortion and the Ozzman screeches into another octave. You can almost see the army of darkness rising from their graves.

"So you children of the world,

listen to what I say

If you want a better place to live in

spread the words today

Show the world that love is still alive

you must be brave

Or you children of today are

Children of the Grave, Yeah!"

 

Children of the Grave

Evil-er!