Aerosmith
Pump

THE REVIEW

Pump is the second of Aerosmith's three "Big Ones," the three jewels of the veteran Boston band's discography.
Jewels not only in terms of the truly excellent quality, but also for the incredible commercial success these three albums achieved: a true source of singles and hits that dominated the '80s and '90s and were later collected in the compilation "Big Ones" (indeed!).

Thus, Pump arrives in a golden period for Aerosmith, already buoyed by the success of "Permanent Vacation," which included the immortal anthems of "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)," the relentless drumbeat of "Rag Doll," the tear-jerking "Angel," and much more that pleased everyone: from hard rock lovers (which was really in vogue at the time) to the MTV audience (then different from the current one, but in the end not that much ;) ).

But are we talking about "Pump" or am I mistaken? So why all this introduction on "Permanent Vacation"? Well, simply because history repeats itself with "Pump"! It repeats and I dare say it even improves, from all points of view.
"Pump" fully represents what Aerosmith has been (and still is): a strongly rock band with the damn knack for nailing hooks and refrains to make songs irresistible, enhanced by Perry’s indestructible riffs and Tyler's unique voice.

Yes, the Toxic Twins (I don’t know if they were still called that then, but they certainly were for quite a while) are the absolute protagonists of a stellar album, made up of 10 stars brighter than ever! From the opening "Young Lust" to the closing "What It Takes," it’s a succession of songs with high radio potential, but also with high artistic value, not just commercial and pointless.
"Love In An Elevator," "The Otherside," "Janie's Got A Gun," and the already mentioned "What It Takes" are the backbone of this album, contributing greatly to the band’s fortunes, but also tracks like "Young Lust," "F.I.N.E.," and the beautiful "Voodoo Medicine Man" are something unmissable, and even the "weaker" tracks (the quotation marks are not random) like "My Girl" and "Monkey On My Back" are semi-masterpieces, making it really difficult to find flaws in this album which, indeed, seems to be free from them.

Some might object to the commercial turn Aerosmith took during this period, but if the result is this, then welcome this turn (and the result will be the same for the next two albums... if not three).
A must-have, a must-listen, a must-love. WARNING: CONTAINS NO DULL POINTS!