Geezer Butler Band Geezer Butler/London, UK 1985

On February 4, 2017, the last show of the traditional heavyweight BLACK SABBATH ended. Perhaps many people are savoring the weight of history with their past albums. However, did you know that there were also famous bands in history that disappeared without leaving any official works? This work is a valuable record of such a famous band. The main character of this work is GEEZER BUTLER BAND. When you say “Geezer’s band,” you might think of “G//Z/R,” “GZR,” and “GEEZER,” which spread heaviness in the 90s, but this work is different. A phantom band that existed in “1985” when Iommi was producing “SEVENTH STAR” as a solo artist. Completely different from the 90s, it was a band that aimed for melodic hard, similar to “SEVENTH STAR.” Now, let’s turn the clock back to “1985”… In 1985, when BLACK SABBATH was in a disbanded state, Geezer Butler formed a solo band like Iommi. The members were his nephew Pedro House, former SABBATH member Gerald Woodruff, and Jeff Fenholt, who also employed Iommi. Although they produced a demo recording with that lineup (you can enjoy it in “THE BATTLE OF THE DEMOS (Shades 216)”), the members other than Pedro were replaced after that. On November 28, 1985, he performed a solo live at the “Marquee Club” in London. This work is an audience album that completely records that precious live performance with high sound quality. The recording of this day has been known among some traders for a long time, but many tapes were incomplete versions with the last “Paranoid” cut off halfway. However, this work includes not only “Paranoid” but also AC/DC’s “Whola Lotta Rosie”, which was used as background music after the show. In addition to the 10 unreleased solo songs that were also heard in the aforementioned “THE BATTLE OF THE DEMOS 1985”, Geezer’s signature “N.I.B.”, as well as “War Pigs” and “Paranoid”, delicious BLACK SABBATH numbers are also played. This work is not only rare, but also has excellent quality. It cannot be said to be “like a sound board”, but the extremely thick musical tones are beautiful from the deep bass to the treble, and there is almost no sense of distance. After all, even new songs that have not been recorded in the studio are clear enough to hear the lyrics. In particular, the extremely thick bass captures Geezer’s undulating melodic bass without missing a single note. Yes, the melody. Geezer’s image of “heavyness” comes to mind, but the original songs here are catchy and melodic 80s British hard rock. It’s a rock concert overflowing with rich melodies that are reminiscent of hard pop and AOR. It’s a pity that these melodic songs were not officially released as an album. “Patrol” and “I’m Leaving,” which stood out even in the demo, are excellent numbers that are somehow reminiscent of VAN HALEN when Sammy Hagar was in the band. The members who wrote these legendary songs are surprisingly skilled. Frontman Richie Callison has a husky yet powerful high-pitched vocal, and his free-flowing singing style is reminiscent of Ray Gillan. If the vocals are Ray, then perhaps the guitar is Jake. Geezer’s nephew Pedro House also plays a lot of technical guitar that is appropriate for the 80s. Taking “Ray & Jake” as an example, you might think it sounds like “BADLANDS?”, but it’s not. The melodic songs are more approachable than the bluesy BADLANDS, and rather have an image of “Ray from SABBATH + Jake from OZZY”. The audience at the venue must have heard all the songs for the first time, but they got very excited between songs and called out “Geezer!”. It’s a live album that allows you to be in the club space and become one with them. In 1985, Iommi was making “SEVENTH STAR” and Ozzy was making “THE ULTIMATE SIN”. Geezer, another key man, was looking in the same direction and creating the finest melodic hard rock. This work is a valuable and reliable record of that. What is “Geezer’s music”? This live album not only conveys that in its raw form, but also changes the way you hear BLACK SABBATH’s works. Along with the demo collection “THE BATTLE OF THE DEMOS 1985,” this is an essential album in the history of BLACK SABBATH in the 1980s. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover the legendary songs that have disappeared into the darkness of history. Live at Marquee Club, London, UK 29th November 1985 TRULY AMAZING SOUND (from Original Masters) 1. Intro 2. I Can’t Stand Much Longer 3. Long Ago 4. Lonely One 5. Patrol 6. Looking Back 7. I’m Leaving 8. N.I.B 9. Reasons 10. Secret Lives 11. Dancing With The Devil 12. Street Wars 13. War Pigs 14. Paranoid Geezer Butler – Bass Pedro Howse – Guitars Ritchie Callison – Vocals John Mee – Drums