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Tracks:
- Leafy Meadows. 5:13
- The Thunderthief. 6:00
- Hoediddle. 7:03
- Ice Fishing At Night. 4:37
- Daphne. 4:53
- Angry Angry. 5:59
- Down To The River To Pray. 4:22
- Shibuya Bop. 6:01
- Freedom Song. 2:39
Musicians:
- John Paul Jones - Vocals, 4-, 6-,10- and 12-string basses, bass steel
itar, acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, electric mandolin, bass
ndolin, tripleneck mandolin, electric mandola, piano, organ, synthesizer,
ma, koto, autoharp, ukelele tripleneck mandolin and Kyma Down to the
ver to Pray (Live version)
- Terl Bryant - Drums, percussion, tofaran
- Nick Beggs - Chapman Stick on Shibuya Bop and Leafy Meadows
- Adam Bomb - Guitar Solo on Angry Angry
- Robert Fripp - Guitar Solo on Leafy Meadows
It seems strange that John Paul Jones has taken so much to begin
his solo career having so good ideas to offer us. This is the second album
of Led Zeppelin's bass player. I still haven't heard the first one, Zooma,
released two years ago.
John Paul Jones always was the more experimenter Led Zeppelin member. He was
more interested than the others in musical forms as progressive rock and
others, and this was obvious in the last album of his former band,
"In Through the Out Door", where he took an important role in the composition.
That was a disc nearer to symphonic and progressive sounds, which does not mean
that it was the best of the band, which, in my opinion, undoubtedly it was not,
but the clear point is that the talent of this man remained a bit unfairly
darkened by that of Jimmy Page.
The Jones's musical interests are also obvious in this album very far
from Led Zeppelin, and more near to the projects and bands of the Crimson saga
as Bozzio-Levin-Stevens, Bruford, or the same King Crimson, but easier and
with much more hook.
We have a lot of powerful and very rhythmic tracks, with many sharp guitars
very frippish, interpreted by John Paul Jones himself (it seems incredible
how this supposedly bass player plays the guitar) and a great execution of the
rhythmic section, as in the brilliant "Leafy Meadows", maybe the best of the
disc, with Robert Fripp on the guitar; "The Thunderthief", another great
track; "Daphne" with magnificent solos of synthesiser and guitar; the powerful
and dirty "Angry Angry"; and the very rhythmic "Shybuya Bop" also magnificent,
emphasizing the excellent guitar and organ solos.
Other tracks are a slightly more experimental cut, also very good as
"Hoediddle", "Down to the River to Pray" based on ukelele and mandolin and
"Freedom Song", besides "Ice Fishing at Night", a delight with only a piano and
the Jones's excellent voice.
IMHO one of big discs of the year, we hope Jones continues with his solo
career for many years.
Rating: 8.5/10
Ferran Lizana
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