After more than a decade behind the scenes producing, arranging and straight-out collaborating with the likes of REM, The Rolling Stones and Lenny Kravitz, the legendary Zeppelin bassist is ready for his close-up -- hitting the road in support of his first solo album, "ZOOMA", complete with a local stop at Pearl Street.

Since I a) lost my virginity while listening to Zeppelin b) subsequently purchased and wore the grooves out of the entire Zeppelin catalogue after said encounter, and c) bought a bass literally minutes after hearing Jones "walk" his four-string funkier than any white man should be allowed to on "The Lemon Song," I felt I had more than enough ammo for the journalistic jockeying that would inevitably coincide with the prospect of interviewing a rock icon.

Just in case, though, I looked up one of Jimmy Page's old Aleister Crowley books and put a black magic curse on the competition. Hey, it's more humane than a deathmatch, right?

And apparently it worked. The following excerpts are from a conversation between yours truly and one-fourth wielder of the "Hammer of the Gods" -- John Paul Jones.

Me: John, I am a big fan and have many questions for you, old and new. Before we get to the ones I'm dying to ask, though, how about the one I have to ask. Why now? Were the planets aligned?

JPJ: Yes, the planets ... the moronic convergence. No, actually, of all things I've been doing over the last 20 years, the one thing I haven't been able to do is play live. I've always had an idea of doing a solo album, so I put the two things together, basically. I thought, well, I can have a solo album and then I have music to take on stage and play live.

Me: Now, the solo album itself has no lyrics. Of course, at this stage in your career, you certainly don't have to prove anything to anyone musically ... or to your accountant, for that matter. But I'm sure you're aware of the difference in commercial viability between a traditional rock album and a progressive, instrumental release.

JPJ: Well, yes, it will have a tougher time. It was a personal album for me, and of course I didn't sing and I don't write lyrics, so it didn't really figure very high into what I wanted to do. As you said, I could have just got a band together, but then what would I do, compete with Aerosmith?

Me: Being on (King Crimson's) Robert Fripp's label (Discipline Global Mobile), though, I don't suppose there was pressure. I mean, of anyone out there, Fripp would be the last person to say, "I don't hear the single."

JPJ: (Laughs.) No, he didn't say that, and I knew that's what every other record company would say. "You need a singer, nobody buys instrumentals. Radio won't play it." And what's the other one? Oh yeah, "Where's the video?"

Plus, I really like the sound of his whole setup. They (DGM) have no contracts whatsoever. So if Robert and I can't stand each other, then we can bow out. There's nothing worse than having someone work for you that hates you -- or doing work for someone that you hate. It just leads to frustration.

Me: Just ask Prince.

JPJ: Right. And also, that whole ethos of all their artists owning their own copyrights and their own masters is very brave in this day and age. I happen to be in a position where I would always have owned my own masters, but many other artists are not. ...