Pump

Millions of participants every week build their fitness in a LES MILLS® class. The 10 LES MILLS® group fitness programs, including BODYPUMP® and BODYCOMBAT®, are taught by 90,000 certified instructors in more than 14,000 licensed clubs around the world. From its base in Auckland, New Zealand, Les Mills renews each exercise-to-music program every three months with new choreography, newly licensed music, and updated instructor education.

Still trying to recover from the effects of a devastating 1995 stroke, Les McCann relaxed and put out a playful jazz/funk album with a cast of dozens that in some ways harkens back to some of his Atlantic sides from the 1970s. Unlike his other post-stroke albums, he doesn't play any keyboards here, leaving them in the hands of Ricky Peterson, with an emphasis on the Hammond B3. Rather, McCann is content just to sing and rap – again, a throwback and fallback to records made a quarter-century before. At 66, McCann sounds considerably different – older and a little shakier on the ballads, but still sly and willing. The grooves are OK in a minimally updated '70s funk manner, but the material, coming from a variety of sources, is rather ordinary as a whole.

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…

The guitar maestro in cracking form on this hard rocking but richly varied album, which was Alvin’s first studio set after the break up of group Ten Years After. After many years on the road, he was in a mood to find freedom and work out with new musical mates, and as a result ‘Pump Iron’ is packed with fine performances. It was made at Alvin’s home studio in 1975 with keyboard player Tim Hinkley.