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. [
Pump was re-released on LP in 2016.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine