On the three albums released so far the band has been known as G//Z/R, Geezer, and GZR, respectively. Despite the changing name, it is still considered the same project. However, Geezer Butler Band from the 1980s is an entirely separate entity.
The bands music is generally of a much harder edge than Butler is known for in Black Sabbath. This isn't a surprise, as the vocalist on his first album, Plastic Planet, was Burton C. Bell from Fear Factory, who is known for more driving and harder edged vocals than ever was displayed in Black Sabbath. The album also featured Pedro Howse on guitar, as well as Deen Castronovo (of Journey fame) on drums. Bell did not stay with the band past the recording of Plastic Planet due to Fear Factory commitments. In 1996 the band re-emerged with an exclusive track for the Mortal Kombat: More Kombat compilation, entitled 'Outworld' and featuring Anger On Anger vocalist, Mario Frasca.
This proved to be a one-time collaboration and Frasca was replaced by Clark Brown (SYMATIC) for their second album Black Science, released in 1997. G//Z/R did play a few live dates in 1997 behind the release of the album, however this was not a full fledged tour, most of these gigs were played concurrent to the Ozzfest tour of that year. The band opened for such folks as Bruce Dickinson, who was playing some live gigs at the time. Castronovo recorded, but did not play any of the live gigs. He was replaced on drums by Chad Smith (not to be confused with the Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer with the same name).
After the handful of live gigs in 1997, the band was mostly put on ice, as Geezer was busy with various things Black Sabbath related for quite a while. Geezer eventually got back into the studio with the same line-up that played the live gigs from 8 years previous, and recorded their third album, Ohmwork, which was released on May 9, 2005. The band is currently working on a new record, and began recording in January 2011, according to Geezer Butler.
The band has actually been marketed with three different names on the three releases they've had. In 1995, the band was marketed as G//Z/R. In 1997, it was merely Geezer, and in 2005, it was GZR. Most fans refer to the band as Geezer, although Butler himself refers to the band name as GEE-ZED-R.This incarnation of the band is not to be confused with Geezer's previous attempt in 1985 to form a solo band, then known as The Geezer Butler Band - the two bands are totally separate.
The band's name is derived from the name of its creator: Terence "Geezer" Butler.
Pedro Howse, the guitarist in the band, is Geezer's nephew.
There are several bands with the name Geezer as well, a stoner rock band and a techno artist, so please vote on the redirected Geezer artist page that this name is correct: http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Geezer
Number 5
G//Z/R Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It goes along Witton Road
It starts to pick up ghosts of old
From where the lonely people used to live
Number five, number five and seven
Number five, took me to my heaven
Number five, number five and seven
The toy shop's no longer there
And no one else seems to care
The sacred heart starts to weep
Its children long gone to sleep
Remains of my yesterday
My plastic dreams blown away
Number five, number five and seven
Number five, took me to my heaven
Number five, number five and seven
Number five, took me to my heaven
Number five, number five and seven
Secret worlds within my attic
Ties that bind me to their magic
Number five and number seven
Took me all the way to heaven
In my attic
Witton magic
Witton magic
We're all magic
Days of magic
Aston magic
The toy shop's no longer there
Why did it have to go away?
Why did it have to go away?
My plastic dreams blown away
The sacred heart starts to weep
For memories I need to keep
Forever locked here inside
Are secrets I learned to hide
The toy shop's no longer there
And no one else seems to care
Why did it have to go away?
My plastic dreams blown away
My plastic dreams blown away
My plastic dreams blown away
My plastic dreams blown away
Number five, number five and seven
Number five, number five and seven
Number five, number five and seven
Number five, number five and seven
The lyrics to G//Z/R's "Number 5" are a haunting and nostalgic exploration of childhood memories, loss, and the power of imagination. The song begins by introducing the "five a," which is described as a spectre that travels along Witton Road, picking up ghosts of old from the places where lonely people used to live. The song then progresses to discussions of the singer's memories, particularly those tied to a now-defunct toy shop where they used to find solace and joy.
The lyrics reference both the number five and number seven, which seems to suggest that these numbers hold a special significance for the singer. They repeat the phrases "Number five, number five and seven, took me to my heaven," which emphasizes the power of imagination and the idea that these numbers can transport the singer to a magical place.
The song concludes with a poignant reflection on the impermanence of childhood. The toy shop is gone, and memories are all that's left. The singer mourns the loss of their "plastic dreams" and wonders why the shop had to go away. Ultimately, the song seems to suggest that while our childhoods may be gone, the magic they contained still lives on within us.
Line by Line Meaning
The five a is a spectre
The number 5 is a ghost-like presence
It goes along Witton Road
It travels down Witton Road
It starts to pick up ghosts of old
It collects memories and remnants of the past
From where the lonely people used to live
From the homes of those who were once alone
Number five, number five and seven
The numbers 5, 5+2=7 are significant
Number five, took me to my heaven
The number 5 provided a feeling of euphoria
The toy shop's no longer there
The toy store no longer exists
And no one else seems to care
Nobody else is affected or concerned
The sacred heart starts to weep
The religious center begins to mourn
Its children long gone to sleep
The community who worshiped there are no longer around
Remains of my yesterday
The last remnants of the past
My plastic dreams blown away
My aspirations as a child are gone with the store
Secret worlds within my attic
The private universes inside my storage space
Ties that bind me to their magic
Connections that connect me to the world of imagination
Took me all the way to heaven
Provided solace and happiness in memory
In my attic
Within my upper storage space
Witton magic
The enchantment of the area called 'Witton'
We're all magic
Everyone possesses their own sort of enchantment
Days of magic
The era of time overflowing with enchantment
Aston magic
The vibe of the Aston neighborhood
Why did it have to go away?
Why did the store have to disappear?
For memories I need to keep
For the memories that I must hold onto
Forever locked here inside
Permanently enclosed within
Are secrets I learned to hide
Are secrets that I learned to keep from others
My plastic dreams blown away
The destruction of my youthful aspirations
Contributed by Charlie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Wade Bowser
such a obscure pioneering metal album.
UAC Gaming ("Immersion" Month)
The 5A is a spectre
It goes along Witton Road
And starts to pick up
Ghosts of old
From where the lonely people
Used to live
No.5 No.5 and 7
No.5 Took me to my Heaven
No.5 No.5 and 7
No.5 Took me to my Heaven
The toy shop´s no longer there
And no-one else seems to care
The sacred heart starts to weep
Its children long gone to sleep
Remains of my yesterday
My plastic dreams blown away
No.5 No.5 and 7
No.5 Took me to my Heaven
No.5 No.5 and 7
No.5 Took me to my Heaven
No.5 No.5 and 7
Secret worlds within my attic
Ties that bind me to their magic
No.5 and No.7 took me all the way to Heaven
In my attic, Witton magic
Witton magic, we´re all magic
Days of magic, Aston magic
The toys shop´s no longer there, why did it have to go away
Why did it have to go away, my plastic dreams blown away
The sacred heart starts to weep, for memories I need to keep
Forever locked here inside are secrets I learned to hide
The toy shop´s no longer there, and no-one else seems to care
Why did it have to go away, my plastic dreams blown away
My plastic dreams blown away...
My plastic dreams blown away...
My plastic dreams blown away...
No.5 No.5 and 7
No.5 No.5 and 7
No.5 No.5 and 7
No.5 No.5 and 7