Zooma

1	Zooma 5:52
2	Grind 5:20
3	The Smile of Your Shadow 5:50
4	Goose 4:58
5	Bass 'N' Drums 2:32
6	B. Fingers 5:26
7	Smake Eyes 7:32
8	Nosumi Blues 5:48
9	Tidal 6:50

Barnes & Noble

While seldom recognized as such, John Paul Jones was the glue that held Led Zeppelin together, the true musician in a band of battling egos. As such, when Zep crash-landed, he walked away unscathed to soldier on with artistically compelling, commercially marginal projects with fellow travelers such as the Butthole Surfers and Diamanda Galas. Well, his first bona fide solo album won't disappoint those who've come to expect the unexpected from Jones, as he delivers a freeform-and-ferocious instrumental set that's spiked with intoxicating elements. Jones tips his hand from cut one, an acid-laced doozy punctuated by torrents of guitar noise courtesy of Butthole Paul Leary. While Jones certainly delivers plenty of his immediately identifiable bass playing -- on four-, eight-, and ten-string models, no less -- he also straps on a variety of other "axes," including guitar, synthesizer, and organ (the pivotal instrument on the ornate blues number "Snake Eyes"). Despite the lack of vocals and lyrics, there's no mistaking the sly, smart attitude Jones brings to the party on tracks like "Goose" and "The Smile of Your Shadow." So move over, rover...and let the bassist take over. David Sprague

All Music Guide

John Paul Jones stayed quiet for years after the disbandment of Led Zeppelin, performing the occasional arranging, soundtrack, or production gig, or collaborating with such avant garde musicians as Diamanda Galas. Throughout it all, he never released a full-fledged solo album -- until the fall of 1999, when he unleashed Zooma. Anyone that was following who Jones worked with in the '90s -- including Galas, the Butthole Surfers, and R.E.M. -- shouldn't be entirely surprised by the depth, range, and gleeful strangeness on Zooma, but those expecting something like Led Zeppelin IV will be disappointed. That's not to say that there's no Zeppelin here at all. Jones was a key member of Zep, contributing heavily to their sonic majesty and experimental bent, all things that are apparent throughout the album. The difference is, Jones frees himself and his collaborators -- including Paul Leary and members of the London Symphony Orchestra -- to push the envelope hard by making Zooma an instrumental effort. Freed from the boundaries of songs, but not compositions, Jones crafts a series of nine truly impressive songs, blending together blues, worldbeat, heavy rock, jazz, and the avant-garde into a distinctive, unpredictable, and original sound. It may have been a long wait to receive the first solo album from Jones, but the end result makes it all worthwhile. Stephen Thomas Erlewine