Unlike the legendary lyrics that open LL Cool J’s classic hit-“Mama Said Knock You Out”- “Don’t Call it a Comeback”- for the legendary band, Aerosmith, it was a comeback, that was cemented by the release of its tenth studio album-“Pump”- which in my opinion is the best body of work in their “second act.” I recognize that technically “Permanent Vacation” was the beginning of their resurrection but we all know that it was another legendary hip hop act- Run DMC- that restored the heart of this band which was barely breathing, on full life support because of each members’ demons that nearly devastated its reputation as one of the greatest rock bands in the history of music. If Jason, Darryl and Joseph did not cover the stellar “Walk This Way” in 1986, I believe many, if not all of us, would be lamenting of what could have been like in so many legendary bands that lost key members of their bands by death but in this case, the members are still with us in 2020.
The excitement of the “cross-over” hit (which of course was hugely facilitated by MTV) was like a lightning bolt for me and I freely admit that I love the cover version better than the original. (I also recognize that I may have just caused some aneurysms for the Aerosmith brethren). This one song and video (one the greatest, if not the ultimate) breathed life back into this Boston unit just like when a lifeguard is “pump”-ing a swimmer on the beach and all of a sudden there is a gush of relief, along with a resolution to stretch yourself to a pinnacle without looking backwards because that second chance is not to be taken for granted. The members of Aerosmith turned their own lives around while adding to its grandeur of musical excellence and at the same time introduced themselves to another generation who had no idea who they were. Thank you, Run DMC!!
Now of course, I was obviously familiar with this band which I have many times written on this blog that I believe that I am one of the few who state that “Draw The Line” is my favorite album but also acknowledge that the demons I previously mentioned were apparent in every song on that recording. When I was an early-teenager I would purchase music based on the album covers, hence you know why I bought this, often under-appreciated body of work, but I am not here to argue that point. “Pump” is such a spectacular album that it made me recognize that as humans we all make mistakes that can hinder the progression of family, friends and careers but sometimes there are moments where something clicks inside of you, whereby one jumps back into the driver’s seat, latches on that seatbelt with a drive to make amends to the aforementioned while leaving those errors in the rearview mirror. After the massive rebirth of “Walk This Way” the members of Aerosmith (Steven, Joe, Brad Tom and Joey) pushed their way back into the crowded kitchen of hard-rock achievers (G&R, Motley Crue, etc.) to remind everyone that they were one of the original chef’s with new tasty recipes which enticed the earliest diners as well as entrancing newcomers to the grownup table.
During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s I was in the early stages of my career with Standard & Poor’s working at 25 Broadway next to what used to be one of the largest post offices in NYC with a group of people that I loved and made a huge impact on my life. I will freely admit I did not follow Aerosmith around like I did with Van Halen and one of my friends, Lori, was a freak of a fan for the band while her and her husband, John, are also classic rock connoisseurs and when Pump was released, I found that light in the tunnel. I believe for almost every day that we walked into the lobby to go to work we both had our “Walkman’s” turned up to the highest volume from Oct. 1989 through the entire 1990 year listening to this album as we exchanged what we thought were the best new songs but in the end it was too hard to decide because every dish was delicious.
The album starts off the energetic- “Young Lust”- just picture those crazy folks who sit on top of the bull as it is caged in the box before the gate is opened as the first twenty seconds of the tune meets the preparation as the people try to keep the bull calm as others try to place the rider on the bull’s back with the gate keeper feeling anxious as the level of excitement blasts through as Joey Kramer’s smashing drums opens the flood gates as we all hold on for the ride and the guitar solo at the 2:45 mark or so pushes the exhilaration to another level. The song is a free-for-all of letting your emotions go as I typically run around in circles in the living room and only when my bride is not home do, I run up and down the furniture as well. And who is more energetic than Mr. Steven Tyler, this is the first ride on the bull and you know he is not falling off, although he does his best to make us go out of minds with this smashing head banging tune and the last twenty seconds of the tune almost has me breathless as I try to keep up with the pace. Then when Steven gives that sort of scream or grunt along with what I assume is the bass line (or rhythm) throbs as “F.I.N.E.” grabs you by the throat to make sure that you are keeping up with the frenetic velocity as the thrashing continues and for some reason I have this huge smile on my face every time I hear this song because it sounds like these guys were having a blast recording it. Do you see what music does to me? The lyrics were of the time period and again I make no apologies because I sing along to every word while shamelessly admitting I love the line- “…she got the crackerjack… now all I want is the prize, honey!…” There is something about the way Mr. Tyler says “honey”- it reminds me of that devilish friend that everyone has, who always pushes the boundaries, maybe a little too far but always has fun doing it. Folks, these first two songs are a powerful “1-2 punch” that will serve your family with the added twist needed for what could be the one of the final barbeques as summer comes to an end or could be used for every form of exercise that gets the blood going.
The ”teenage” mischievous theme continues as the female voice in the beginning of “Love in an Elevator” is the perfect setup for Steven’s response while Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton and Brad Whitford crank it up with the blazing guitar riffs that has the entire world “air-guitaring” while Mr. Kramer’s smashing enthralls the youthfulness feel to this song as even your parents look at each other and smile, I will not go any further but Aerosmith does paint a picture. Then at the 2:25 mark or so, the tune takes a turn right down hard rock lane as the what seems like endless guitar solos permeate the air with so much excitement, it is really hard to contain oneself. This song needs to be played at every outdoor event during the summer because it will get everyone dancing around while high fiving each other, does it get any better?
Then it is on to one of my favorite tracks of the album- “Monkey on My Back” which starts off with this big introduction, like a Ferris wheel on its first turn as it stops at the top as you overlook Coney Island but then comes the downhill pace of the roller coaster at the 40 second mark as it is off to the races once again. Folks, this is almost too much to take, are you still on the bull? I can understand if you need a breather but I am at a fever’s pitch as the stimulation created by the musicianship is like when Popeye would eat his spinach and the electric bolt would pump up his forearms and biceps while he defended the honor of his love. Leave it to the members of Aerosmith to create a dynamic song about all their demons but makes perfect sense to me because the high vitality is the best way to shake something off your back, this is no time to mellow out, no just the opposite- it just may make you jump off the bull and put him or her on your back to see if they can manage to stay afloat.
As the last song on side one begins- “Janie’s Got a Gun”- one can finally take a breath but then listen to the depth of this song- is this really Aerosmith? Taking on such a huge message? I for one was stunned when I read the lyrics and, in my opinion, displayed their growth as a band with a powerful lesson for the masses. The introduction to the song display’s the eeriness as you can sense that something or someone is going to do a bad thing and as the tune flows, the picture painted takes your breath away. And the weird thing for me is the way that the melody transforms you into a stratosphere where one cannot help but sing along to the chorus as if it is a happy song- “… Janie’s got a gun… dog days just begun… now everybody’s on the run…”
Flipping over to side two, the “Dulcimer Stomp/The Other Side” is so irresistible as the acoustic guitar with the wallowing conjures up images of the wild west as you jump on your horse to round up the troops but not to fight, no on the other hand to dance around and at the 51 second mark when Steven grunts we all are ready to jam it out as I usually picture Emilio Estevez in the scene from “The Breakfast Club” where he is feverously running atop the railing while air-guitaring. The nearly five-minute song will have you shaking your head in disbelief on how great this album continues to turn you on your head. As a side note, I did not know until many years later that Aerosmith were threatened with a lawsuit by the legendary song writing team of “Holland-Dozier-Holland” who claimed that “The Other Side” sounded awfully familiar to a song that they had written back in the late 1960’s-“Standing in the Shadows of Love”- made famous by The Four Tops and they were subsequently added to the writers of the song.
“My Girl” is a funky upbeat tune that could arguably be recommended as the best song on the album because it has it all- danceability, finger snapping, and air-guitaring. I can picture the scene from the TV sitcom “Friends” where Joey bends over and puts the bat on his head and spins around in circles and claims his is okay as he falls headfirst with his helmet on into the floor- that is what this song does to you. The last three songs are arguably the best on the album and always a sign, again in my opinion, of a classic album because the tunes get increasingly better. It is like having a batting lineup where hitters one through nine are the likes of Mays, Mantle and DiMaggio. “Don’t Get Mad, Get Even” is my most favorite song on the album, I just cannot get enough of this song, it starts off very subtly but creepily starts to groove with the infamous harmonica and moaning by Tyler—love the way Steven exclaims- “… when you talk to me in circles… take your foot out of your mouth…” Then as Mr. Kramer enters his way on the tune at the 1:11 mark it is pure euphoria as the track continues to improve and when Mr. Tyler makes that slapping of the face sounds at the 2:25 mark, I really just lose it. “…sleeping with the dogs… and you wake up with the fleas…” This is pure funkified bliss.
“Hoodoo/Voodoo Medicine Man” is an excellent track that displays the awesome power of the band named Aerosmith as the images of the wild, wild west fly past your eyes as the pulsating bass reverberates Tyler’s ability as one of the greatest “front-men” in the history of music with some of his best squeals and screams on any song they ever created. Mr. Perry’s mesmerizing guitar work solidifies his place as one of the greatest “axe-men” in the genre of hard-rock. The band is working on all cylinders as the screams with the frantic drumming takes you another world. Okay say what you will about “What It Takes”- is it “bubble-gum ballading?” Think about the time frame folks, it was at the height of glam rock (exhibit A- Poison) with power ballads by every hair band out there being memorialized on MTV, who would repeat the same videos every hour on the hour. But again, I make no bones about it, I love bubble gum, especially the kind that has long lasting flavor such as this tune. And of course, there is the obligatory guitar solo in the middle of each ballad which I believe Mr. Perry nails! These songs were the precursor to the “American Idol” fan wave which of course Mr. Tyler had his run on the show at the height of its popularity. I will skip over this topic as I know it was a sore spot with the rest of the band. If you listen all the way to the end of the song you will hear that “wild west” theme take out the album, so it ends with the spit of “toe-back-ee” instead of gum.
I want to thank the members of Aerosmith for making “Pump” because it sent a message out to the entire world that we all make mistakes and that we can recover to make a positive impact on the lives of an entire population. This album put them back on the map, in my opinion, and proved to hard-rock world that they still had a lot left in the tank with a “take no prisoner” kind of sound that resonated with the original fan base as well as drawing in new members who were not familiar with “Rocks” or “Toys in the Attic”- hopefully those students went back and did their homework. Of course, I have seen Aerosmith live, I took my bride a few times as she did not hide her affection for Mr. Perry, especially when he played shirtless. I met Joey Kramer outside the Waldorf Astoria on Park Avenue in 2008 while I was walking with former colleagues of mine as we were trekking back to the office. I believe he was with his daughter because as I made a bee-line towards him crossing the street diagonally which I think made him leery as I approached him and as every father would do, he stepped in front of his daughter to protect her from this weirdo. As I was closer, I asked- “Are you Joey Kramer?” He nodded and I immediately said – “thank you for enriching my life!” and walked away to not make a scene. When my colleagues asked me who it was, I said Joey Kramer, they all nodded in agreement and said- “Wow Kramer from Seinfeld!” I sighed and continued to walk. I also bow to this legendary band as once the pandemic ends, they will play to a full Fenway Park to celebrate their 50 plus year existence. \m/ \m/
