This is the most crucial period for Aerosmith and their future. As most of you might know, following a number of clashes and several announcements, mostly through the internet, the band is in search of Steven Tyler’s replacement. Is this possible? Well, that’s a matter for debate. I strongly believe, though, that there is no Aerosmith without Steven Tyler…

Starting up, let’s go twenty or so years back, when things where much better for Aerosmith. After the huge success of Permanent Vacation (1987, 5 times platinum), had to reload its arsenal and move on. It is always a big thing moving on after such a success and the bands that make it to repeat such a thing are not that many…

It is September 12, 1989 that Pump is released, with a total duration of 47 minutes and 41 seconds. They would use, pretty much, the same recipe for this album as they did with the previous one. Bruce Fairbairn ( Slippery When Wet and New Jersey for Bon Jovi and Loverboy, BOC, AC/DC, Scorpions, Van Halen, Chicago, YES and so many more) was the producer once more. It is worth mentioning here that Fairbairn died a mysterious death in 1999. Back to Pump, which was heralded by both fans and critics at its first day of release already. The contribution of the brass section for some of the tracks, and also the album singles (Love In An Elevator and the Other Side) were distinctive within this rock ‘n roll party. Dynamic Rock cuts like Young Lust and F.I.N.E., the unbelievable What It Takes, strange moments about incestuous relationships and murder at “Janie’s Got A Gun” and, of course,  the reference to booze and drugs on Monkey On my Back, all of those together, form a masterpiece for the time, that much that this is considered by many as the last Aerosmith album with such a vast acceptance.

Up to now, Pump has sold over 7,000,000 copies in the USA alone. There are several landmarks for Aerosmith there too, like their first Grammy award for Janie’s Got A Gun for best rock performance by a band/ Moreover, Love In An Elevator was their first hit single to reach No 1 at the Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart. It was also their first and only Aerosmith album (up to this day) that had 3 top-10 singles on the Billboard Hot-100. Pump was the fourth best selling album for 1990.

Gossip time…The band found themselves at courts accused by a small band named Pump that sued the band’s management for obvious reasons. For the records, Aerosmith won the case. They were also sued by B. Holland-L. Dozier-E. Holland (as composers of Standing In The Shadows Of Love) that claimed that the main melodic line of the “The Other Side” belonged to them. This ended with Aerosmith including them in the song’s credits. A bonus track titled Ain’t Enough is oncluded in the Japanese cut of the album. 

Kudos to the designer of the album’s cover but also to the photographer of the inlay for the photo of the gas station guy and his tattoo…You can also check out the Making of Pump DVD, with images of the Little Mountain Studio, the recording studio. Browse around the internet to find some of the Pump Tour performances.

Closing up, I can only wish that they overcome their problems and stop looking for a new singer…THERE IS NO AEROSMITH WITHOUT STEVEN TYLER…THE END…

Track list:

1.         "Young Lust"             

2.         "F.I.N.E."  

3.         "Love in an Elevator"  

4.         "Monkey on My Back"  

5.         "Janie's Got a Gun"    

6.         "The Other Side"        

7.         "My Girl"       

8.         "Don't Get Mad, Get Even"  

9.         "Voodoo Medicine Man"       

10.       "What It Takes"