The Best Record of 1989: Day 5

Aerosmith, Pump vs. Galaxie 500, On Fire

May 30, 2025

Good morning!

Today we’re taking a look at #113 Aerosmith’s Pump vs. #16 Galaxie 500’s On Fire

Growing up, I was one of the youngest kids on my block. My friends were all generally 2-3 years older than me, which gave me an inherent advantage when it came to music discovery (more on that in a second).

However, above that level, there was another tier — those kids' older siblings. They were generally 5-6 years older and often tended to make life on the block difficult. You could expect to be tackled during a game of two-handed touch football. It was not unusual to find yourself staring down the barrel of a Roman candle in the lead-up to the 4th of July. I got really good at riding my bike or running in a zig-zag. Ask me how. We still had metal lawn darts. It was sketchy. I learned to regard them with a healthy fear. These guys drove muscle cars. They listened to Aerosmith. I approached the band with the same level of wariness.

By the time 1989 and Pump rolled around, the band had seen some things. They'd reached the heights of fame, had a few bona fide hits under their belts, and had stared down the barrel of addiction. Now (more or less) clean, they were hitting the heights of their second act and in the middle of a three-record run (1987's Permanent Vacation, Pump, and '93's Get a Grip) that would seal their spot in the Rock God pantheon.

If Permanent Vacation told the world they were back to work and ready to take the charts by storm, Pump told us, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." The band took what had been working and doubled down on it. And what was that exactly? Monumental riffs, a deep trough of lyrics, all with an industrial-grade sheen.

"Janie's Got A Gun" is a harrowing tale of abuse and avenging said crimes. It's serious stuff for a party band. "Love in an Elevator" keeps things in check by reminding us they're still all about good-time rock and roll. This is a record that sounds fantastic turned up to 11 in a Camaro, screaming down the interstate. And at its heart, this is what makes Pump great, even if it's not something in my wheelhouse.

Every generation has its "seminal year" for music. Boomers might point to 1967 or 69. Something different if a particular year really resonates. Many Gen Xers would point to any one of 1989, 1990, or 1991 as their pick. It's early, but this tournament is already giving glimpses of why. There was truly something for everyone; every week, the odds were good that your new favorite record might show up in the racks at Tower. That variety is making for some wild pairings early on, and this is no exception.

Aside from both bands being from Massachusetts, can anyone point out what Galaxie 500 and Aerosmith might have in common? I'm genuinely asking. I mean, you can probably count the fan overlap with both hands.

Nevertheless.

My first roommate was one of the older kids from the block I mentioned earlier, and as it turns out, he was a big fan of the Galaxie 500. This was a good thing. He also enjoyed playing the guitar incessantly. That was less so, but I digress. Mostly, he would try and play other people's songs and miss the mark. To be fair, he was learning, but still.

On the other hand, Galaxie 500 is pretty good at doing covers. Their version of X's "Fourth of July" is fantastic. Only in recent years has my preference reverted to the original. On this record, they took on New Order's "Ceremony." In most cases, I'd regard that as heresy, but here it works. For the record, my roommate's take on the Fourth of July wasn't too shabby! AFAIK, he never bothered with Ceremony.

As for Galaxie 500's original tracks, they are, well, everything that Pump is not. I'm telling you, '89 had something for everyone! For as upfront as Aerosmith is, Galaxie 500 is much more muted. They took the conventions of shoegaze and slowcore and put their own spin on them with magical results.

Pump is big riffs and towering sounds. On Fire is small stories about the everyday. Dean Wareham is quite good at singing about the quotidian. On opener "Blue Thunder," he sings:

Thinking of blue thunder
Singing to myself
Thinking how fast it moves
Feeling how it turns

And I want to believe it's about the TV show or the helicopter, but really, it's just about driving down the road.

Bottom Line: Aerosmith would have more than one act. Galaxie 500 never would because you can't beat what they put together. Lightning in a bottle is a one-off for a reason. On Fire isn't one you throw on at a party--at least not the ones I used to go to-- but Galaxie 500 is a band I play a lot more than Aerosmith, if for no other reason than to smite those older dudes from back in the day.

My vote is going for On Fire.