"I wondered how I could get back out there without having to join another band and getting involved in all those democratic things. Eventually I realised that my best option was to make an instrumental record and do it on my own terms."

Released on September 13, Zooma is that album. Issued through King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp's Discipline label, it's an all instrumental affair.

What had attracted Jones to Discipline Records was Robert Fripps's insistence that no paperwork would be involved. Like Zeppelin's manager Peter Grant, the King Crimson guitarist is content to place his trust in a handshake alone.

Classic Rock has heard a four-track sampler of the album revealing a rhino-skinned paciness, with all the thumping bottom end that you'd expect from one half of Led Zeppelin's rhythm section.

"There's an intensity to it, but that's the way I've always done things. It's the way I like to play rock music," agrees Jones. "Some of that comes from using a live rhythm section, not just loops or samples. I'd started off using drum machines but it just kept on getting rockier and rockier, so I almost had to start again from scratch. The next one will be recorded a lot quicker, I've got a lot of ideas already."

Live work begins in America in October, after which it's Britain and mainland Europe's turn. Onstage Jones will be joined by stick bassist Nick Beggs (ex-Kajagoogoo and the underrated Ellis, Beggs & Howard) and drummer Geoff Dugmore, but "my 12-string bass plays most of the sounds you hear," he grins. One thing Jones is dead-set on is retaining the instrumental format of Zooma for the foreseeable future.

For an instrumental release, Zooma offers much variety. Besides harder-hitting moments like 'B. Fingers', Jones also arranged and conducted the London Symphony Orchestra on 'Snake Eyes'. As a hired arranger of other people's hits like 'Everybody Hurts' by REM, he already had considerable experience with orchestras but hearing one of his own compositions getting the treatment gave him a real buzz.

"These things are always scary, but it was a definite thrill to hear an orchestra playing my song", he admits. "The best thing, though, was not having to turn around and ask somebody else whether it was what they wanted. Normally when I arrange a song I'm left praying that another person will like it. The whole joy of this album was that it was mine."