ZOOMA
John Paul Jones
•Heavy Prog
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3.75
| 69 ratings | 8 reviews | 17% 5 stars
Excellent addition to any |
Studio Album, released in 1999 Songs / Tracks Listing 1. Zooma 3 (5:53) - John Paul Jones / basses (lap steel, 4-, 10- & 12-string), electric mandola (1,3), Kyma software (1,2,4,7,9), guitar (6), organ (7), string arranger & conductor (7), composer & producer
Artwork: Akio Morishima and to Quinino for the last updates Edit this entry |
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JOHN PAUL JONES Zooma ratings distribution
(69 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(17%)Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(48%)Good, but non-essential (33%)Collectors/fans only (1%)Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
JOHN PAUL JONES Zooma reviews
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Collaborators/Experts Reviews
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
PROG REVIEWER
"Zooma" is the perfect opener and is best played extremlely loud. It opens with the sound of sea gulls and waves, but don't be fooled because there is a storm coming like nothing you've ever experienced. Haha. Jones comes in on his 10 string bass and shakes the foundations. Oh my ! Talk about the bass from hell ! The drums are heavy and we get this sick guitar solo later. Some strange sounds from an instrument called a kyma that fits the mood perfectly. Monster track. "Grind" opens with an amazing melody that sounds so good. Some massive bass comes and goes. Jones has his 12 string bass out for this one and he's making sounds that are coming from the depths. There's a brief conversation part way through.Trey Gunn follows that up with a touch guitar solo as the drums pound and the bass shakes the windows. "The Smile Of Your Shadow" is mellow with mandola, bass and something called a djembe. Drums and a fuller sound before 3 1/2 minutes before it settles back down.
"Goose" sounds incredible when it kicks into gear around 40 seconds in. Killer bass as usual. Fantastic rhythm.You have to hear this guy's bass man. A 12 string bass that should come with a warning label. A wall of sound after 4 minutes then it calms down until it ends. "Bass n' Drums" is simply that, but it's not as powerful as most of the songs. "B.Fingers" hits the ground running, no it digs up the ground actually. A deep and powerful onslaught from hell. Trey Gunn's back with his touch guitar but the bass and drums are eating him up. Great song ! "Snake Eyes" opens with deep, deep bass sounds as drums and some steel bass. There's a blues vibe to this one early and Jones treats us with an organ solo too before 3 minutes. Nice. Later we get some orchestration from the London Symphony Orchestra which is a nice touch. Check out the organ that's still ripping it up. Incredible ! One of the best tracks on here.
"Nosumi Blues" is another blues flavoured track with the bass lap steel guitar. Man can Jones play guitar or what ? Bass and drums 2 1/2 minutes in. "Tidal" brings us back to the 10 string bass as drums pound. This is tight man. Heavy duty too. The bass lap steel makes some noise 2 minutes in as it turns into absolute chaos.
This is so close to 5 stars for me. 7 of these tracks will rip your face off the other 2 I think are to show he's human. He can't fool me though.
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
After listening to this album I have finally realized why Robert Plant / Jimmy Page-solo albums never sounded as good as their work in Led Zeppelin. All of the best songs were actually contributed by Mr. John Paul Jones! And this instrumental album actually proves it one crunchy bass line at a time!
Zooma is one really heavy album that will most likely put many of Led Zepplin compositions to shame. I'm not talking about the production values which are understandably superior to Zeppelin's 70's records but Zooma is dominated by the heavy sounding bass which really makes these compositions almost sound like the later King Crimson material. This can actually also be contributed to Trey Gunn soloing on some of the tracks with a Crimsonesque type of vibe.
This is truly a must have album for fans of heavy prog music. So if you are lucky enough to find this album, grab it and never let go!
***** star songs: Zooma (5:52) Goose (4:58) B. Fingers (5:26) Tidal (4:20)
**** star songs: Grind (5:20) The Smile Of Your Shadow (5:50) Bass 'N' Drums (2:32) Snake Eyes (7:32)
*** star songs: Nosumi Blues (5:48)
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
Pete Thomas,album's drummer, is real hero of this record as well - it's often quite difficult to say if this album isn't drummer's solo release. Paul Leary is competent guitarist and Trey Gunn's Warr guitar sound in many places gives you very Crimsonian feeling.
I have quite mixed feeling after some listening of this album though. Great energy, some groove and very competent musicianship from one side, and quite simplistic, straightforward compositions from the other. Bluesy roots here and there. Missing link between Led Zeppelin and post-80 King Crimson?
Possibly yes, but never as good as Led Zeppelin or King Crimson itself. Easy accessible music though, could have more fans I believe.In many places I felt Plant vocals would be a great improve of the compositions.
Very competent album, my rating is 3+.
PROG REVIEWER
First album named Zooma of this legendary bassist/keyboardist from ex Led zeppelin John Paul Jones. This is a groovy kind of album where his bass is all over the places, lots of great chops here with plenty of experimental twists and atmosphere. All album is instrumental and on each tune JPJ show that he is apt to call him one of the best and most influencel bass players ever. Zooma has many great moments on pieces like Zooma, Grind or Bass n' Drums. The album overall has a progressive direction and the arrangements are intricate and well performed. This a a fairly solid album that will please most of the experimental instrumental albums with crunchy bass parts. very nice one. 3.5 stars.
PROG REVIEWER
He also hid some "big tricks" under the Zep's big hat.!!.. If the "riffs" were not Jimmy's they were "Jonesy's". But, as a well versed multi-instrumentals, he is also well aquainted with less prog oriented flavors like country, rag, funk and also the Renaissance-like styled compositions. (Zeppelin's "Houses of the Holy" prog-funk orientation is one of his evident contributions to the band, as "No-Quarter"; one of the most prog oriented, Zeppelin songs.) ZOOMA, Is a sum of all his talents freed into a self owned and titled album. The experience is quiet a thrill, being for starters, that JPJ stands outside the "Zep's" enormous shadow, but would not sacrifice his own language and intention, in the way. So this project is more directed towards un-structured experimentations-like songs, (very un-Zep), within a limited range, of course.
The use of opposite styles, prog and not, are wisely used, as not to become the songs themselves but part of the "whole" song. So with a touch of different styles in some songs, the "transitition", turns out more like a "Jonesy" project than Zep's.
ZOOMA has well structured solid Heavy-Prog songs, but also different directions and flavors in some others. ****4 "Daring good-excellent album" Stars. Prog and not, but kind of HEAVY..
Latest members reviews
4.5: the first really solo album by John Paul Jones, the legendary bassist/keyboardist and the most progressive influence of Led zeppelin music. The music in this one is really heavy prog combined with ambient music, it has a lot of influences of King Crimson, as one of their members Trey Gunn pa ... (read more)
Report this review (#2136163) | Posted by mariorockprog | Wednesday, February 13, 2019 | Review Permanlink
I'll begin this review by saying that Led Zeppelin and King Crimson are my two favorite bands. Overall, this album by LPJ sounds more like a demo than a finished product. That is really unfortunate. I hear a lot of good foundations and ideas that could have been further developed into outst ... (read more)
Report this review (#964786) | Posted by dragonspirit | Friday, May 24, 2013 | Review Permanlink
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