I have a confession to make: I know jack diddly about Aerosmith. I am reviewing this CD because I'm a big Aerocat fan, she's hosting this writeoff thingy, and Pump is the one and only Aerosmith album I own. I can even concede that owning Pump isn't really anything special--everyone owns (or at least owned) this album. It's like an American institution. The late 80's were a great time for Aerosmith--the older fans loved this album because DUDE, the boys could still rock. Preteen boys (such as myself) loved this album because, well, those mannequins in the "Love In an Elevator" video were HOT. Plus, the sound of Steven Perry's scratchy-but-somehow-still-sorta-sexy voice combined with Joe Tyler's scorching guitars was somehow as fresh and vital as ever.

(Wait for it...)

OK, OK, OK, I'm not that clueless. Steven Tyler. Joe Perry. Happy now?

In any case, Pump is a Classic Aerosmith Album, and I'm glad I own it, even if I don't listen to it very often. A prime example of why this is a classic Aerosmith album comes storming out of the gates in the form of "Young Lust," a song that defines the word 'rollicking'. No doubts as to what Mr. Tyler's talking about in this one, as he spits out lines like My love is getting longer and Are you fishin' or ya gonna cut bait. The real revelation is just how tight, together, and freaking ON FIRE the entire band sounds. The energy is infectious, and you just can't help but bop along to it. Oh, and drum solos rule--kudos to you, Joey Kramer. "F.I.N.E." treads similar lyrical territory, complete with the classic Aerosmith line I'm a red hot pistol and I'm ready to fight/I'm a '38 special on a Saturday night. Double entendre abounds, and the fantastic vocal harmonies bring it all straight to the front of the mix. It's a good time.

You know "Love In an Elevator," right? Now there's a classic tune. I don't know what I can say about this song that you don't already know, except that I love how there's another verse left after what seems like eons of blazing solos and vocal interludes. How can you not rock out to this song? It's impossible. "Monkey On My Back" is yet another rocker, this one a little less fun and a little less notable than the three that precede it. Perhaps that's because it's sandwiched between the aforementioned "Love In an Elevator" and the masterpiece of this disc, the artistic, powerful dirge that is "Janie's Got a Gun". Heck, just the fact that Aerosmith tackles the hot-button topic of child abuse and creates a song with lyrics actually worth thinking about for longer than four seconds is a feat in and of itself--never mind that it's a musical tour-de-force to boot. That trademark keyboard line is simultaneously creepy and catchy, and the RUUUN AWAAAAAY build at the end could send chills up the most jaded listener's spine. It's truly a feat to behold.

Just in case you thought they forgot how to rock, the odd interlude "Dulcimer Stomp" plunges the listener right into "The Other Side," yet another in the seemingly endless stream of Classic Aerosmith Songs that populate this album. Tyler does some of his best screeching on the album here, and Joe Perry absolutely destroys everything in his path with his guitar. "My Girl" and "Don't Get Mad, Get Even" sound like they exist for the sake of filling out the album. They're not bad, but they don't quite reach the impossible standard set by the songs that come before them.

After another interesting little interlude (this time titled "Hoodoo"), we get "Voodoo Medicine Man", which is another great track. Tom Hamilton's bass is tremendous, and Tyler's vocals are once again unparalleled. "Voodoo Medicine Man" just has a funky down 'n dirty bluesy vibe that fits in well on the album while still separating it from the rest of the pack. Rounding out the album is "What It Takes," which was released as the fourth single from this album, and it serves as a precursor to the ballads like "Crazy", "Cryin'", and "Amazing" that Aerosmith would ride to tremendous success on their next album, Get a Grip. Sappiness aside, this is a catchy, wonderful song that just begs for raised lighters. I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!

No, I don't listen to this kind of music, and Aerosmith's Pump gets about as many spins as, oh, Shaggy's Hotshot does. I can, however, recognize that this is a freaking great album, and I probably should listen to it more often (unlike that Shaggy disc, which I should probably listen to less). Plus, it holds a special place in my heart, because the late 80's was when I started listening to music on a regular basis, and Aerosmith sure was cool back then. I guess it all goes back to that video with the hot mannequins.

But I digress. If you're an Aerosmith fan and you don't have this album, well, shame on you. Highly Recommended.


This review would most likely never have happened had the Awesome AEROCAT not had this writeoff. Check out her profile, check out the Aerosmith writeoff page at http://aerowriteoff.bravepages.com/index.html, and bow to the mighty Aerosmith with the 'Cat that knows 'em best.

Recommended: Yes