WOW! "Pump" is such an incredible record. It is probably their best comeback record(for seventies record, buy "Rocks"). I think that not only are the big singles hits, like "Love in an Elevator," "Janie' Got a Gun," "The Other Side, " and "What it Takes," but all the B-side stuff is just as amazing. "Monkey on My Back," relating to Steven's former drug problem, is a nice driving rock song. This album has alot of cool hooks in it complimented with a great rhythm sound from Kramer, Hamilton, and Whitford(how is it their stuff gets overlooked?). Many intros begin the songs:"Going down," "Water Song," "Dulcimer Stomp;" It's all great! Aerosmith definately steps out on a limb and creates stuff totally never done before. Seriously, if you're looking to start your collection or looking to further it, buy "Pump." I guarantee you won't be dissapointed! Also, check out the video "The Making of Pump." It gives alot of background info on the creating process.

As I stated above, this is Aerosmith's second best record. There is simply not a weak moment on this album. Aerosmith had just regained their former prosperity and fame with Permanent Vacation, and then took a huge risk by releasing Pump, the most adventurous and experimental album of their career. How so? One listen to this album and you'll see what I'm talking about. First off, there are all the unique instruments played here, socially aware lyrics like in Janie, and some lyrics that are bound to offend. Even if you've heard half this album on the radio, the songs are all better on here, as they have cool intros (played with the aforementioned unique instruments) to compliment them. There is also a "hidden" jam after What It Takes ends. Now for the songs... they are all good, but the singles (Janie, Elevator, Other Side, What It Takes) are all great, of course, but some of the lesser-known songs are just as good. The opening combo of Young Lust (great song with an awesome ending, courtesy of Joey Kramer) and F.I.N.E. (more sleazy lyrics for our schoolboy's pleasure) start the album off on a high note, and it never lets up. Voodoo Medicine Man is a great song also. It is simply impossible not to love this album. Buy it already!

Pump is a great album and well worth your time but....

Amazon has THIS as the greatest Aerosmith ever?

You actually believe Pump is better than Toys or Rocks?

They're only 2 of the best Rockin' albums of the last 25 years.

I think you guys are doing the stuff Aerosmith says they don't do anymore.

You also watch too much MTV.

Oh well....enjoy anyway.

Hard rocking, but with great lyrics and wisecracking fun to boot. I'd compare Pump to a series of short stories set to rock - every tune has a theme to it. Besides the solid hits, there are some hidden gems that are real wild screams: Monkey on My Back harks to their past addictions; Don't Get Mad-Get Even is dark humor; FINE is too raunchy for most radio stations! Hoodoo is a bluesy riot! A Celtic flavor in Dulcimer Stomp and American Indian flavor in Medicine Man. Doesn't have the commercial aspect of later efforts. All clever, gutsy tunes that rock Aerosmith style!

Yeah, yeah, yeah...one of the best, awesome album, unbelievable, blah, blah, blah....Sorry kids, but this just isn't it for me. I hate to be the one to rain on this parade, but in my opinion (isn't that what all of these reviews are?) this just can't compare to the 70's version of Aerosmith. I can't offer much else in the way of a critique, but it's the way I feel. We all have gut feelings about things like this and this is mine. Interestingly, many of the reviews I read said it wasn't great but they still gave it 4 or 5 stars. How do you gauge your ratings since almost every album is 4 or 5 stars? Anyway, I admit there are some decent songs here (certainly "Janie's Got A Gun" is one of their finest songs) but this is the point in Aero-history where Steven's libido became a parody and the lyrics demonstrate that. I would expect to see the lyrics to "Young Lust" or "Love In An Elevator" ("living it up while I'm going down..." please) in an eighth grader's notebook. Besides that, all of the "Yes, we're now off drugs and oooooh weren't they such bad bad things!" lyrical lectures get old in a hurry. As far as it goes with me, I think "Get A Grip" is the best of the post-drug product. If Aerosmith would throw us geezers a bone and put out an album which featured the best of their new stuff on one CD, I'd be happy. They could throw on Janie, "Hangman's Jury," "Living On The Edge," "St. John," and some others. Hey, it's the least they could do for a former "AeroKnows" subscriber.