GEEZER BUTLER Complains About OZZY's BLACK SABBATH Setlists

BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler recently spoke to Canada's Chart Attack about the rehearsals for a big SABBATH tour this summer, one that will perch the band at the top of Ozzfest, but also take them beyond into regular dates, hopefully with a longer, more adventurous setlist.

At the time of the interview, the first meeting on SABBATH's stage plans had not yet taken place. Commented Butler: "No, not yet. The last I heard, Tony's [Iommi] in New York promoting his album. I don't know what Ozzy's [Osbourne] doing. I think Ozzy's doing all the talk shows or something [laughs]. So we haven't actually sat down and talked about the setlists. I just hope it's going to be different this time."

Regarding the possibility of a new SABBATH studio album being released, Butler said, "I'd only make it if it was really good. I mean, we've got like six or seven songs, three of which I consider pretty good. To put an album out we've got a lot to live up to. I think the way we did it last time [note: for the album 'Reunion', which featured two new songs] was all wrong. We were sort of locked in a studio for two months and told to come up with a new SABBATH album; it doesn't work like that."

On the subject of being the main person to lean upon to come up with lyrics, Butler said, "I can only write lyrics when I feel I have the subject matter to write about. I mean, I've got used to the way I do it in GZR. I just like, write a set of words, and let the vocalist sort through it and let him fit it to his vocal line. Versus Ozzy; he likes the words to fit exactly to what he's singing.

"I mean, I think we're all desperate to do new stuff," Geezer said of the thorny subject of the SABBATH live setlist. "But Mr. Osbourne won't do it. We're dying to do new stuff. I'm almost dreading playing the same 10 songs again, so hopefully we're going to talk Ozzy into doing some things."