Description

Still sealed double album in paper sleeve. Two albums for the price of one

Pump 1989
Where Permanent Vacation seemed a little overwhelmed by its pop concessions, Pump revels in them without ever losing sight of Aerosmith’s dirty hard rock core. Which doesn’t mean the record is a sellout — “What It Takes” has more emotion and grit than any of their other power ballads; “Janie’s Got a Gun” tackles more complex territory than most previous songs; and “The Other Side” and “Love in an Elevator” rock relentlessly, no matter how many horns and synths fight with the guitars. Such ambition and successful musical eclecticism make Pump rank with Rocks and Toys in the Attic.

Permanent Vacation 1987
The much-ballyhooed reunion of the original Aerosmith lineup had pretty much fallen flat on its face after 1985’s hit-and-miss Done With Mirrors. Realizing that the band simply couldn’t do it alone, A&R guru John Kalodner capitalized on the runaway success of Run-D.M.C.’s cover of “Walk This Way” and decided to draft in the day’s top hired hands, including knob-twiddler extraordinaire Bruce Fairbairn and career-revitalizing song doctors Desmond Child and Jim Vallance. Together, they would help craft Permanent Vacation, the album which would reinvent Aerosmith as ’80s and ’90s superstars. Yet, despite the mostly stellar songwriting, which makes it a strong effort overall, some of the album’s nooks and crannies haven’t aged all that well because of Fairbairn’s overwrought production, featuring an exaggerated sleekness typical of most mid-’80s pop-metal albums. Furthermore, Desmond Child’s pedantic writing often compromises the timeliness of even the best material. On the other hand, pre-fab radio gems like Rag Doll and Dude (Looks Like a Lady) remain largely unassailable from a delivering the goods perspective. But remember kids, this is Aerosmith, so that can only mean one thing: a guaranteed number of incredible tracks for any time and place. These include the excellent hobo-harmonica fable of Hangman Jury, the Caribbean title track and the cover of the Beatles I’m Down. Finally, the crowd-pleasing schmaltz of Angel showcases the band at the peak of its power ballad cheese. A valiant effort, this album proved to be the crucial catalyst in reintroducing Aerosmith to the masses, but if you’re looking for an even better example of the band’s renewed strength, check out Pump first.

Track listing:
Disc 1: Pump 1989
1. Young Lust
2. FINE
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

Disc 2: Permanent Vacation 1987
1. Heart’s Done Time
2. Magic Touch
3. Rag Doll
4. Simoriah
5. Dude (Looks lika a lady)
6. St. John
7. Hangman Jury
8. Girl Keeps Coming Apart
9. Angel
10. Permanent Vacation
11. I’m Done-The Beatles cover
12. The Movie