Peter Tosh - Legalize It

Each of the dreadlocked prophets who made up reggae's "holy trinity"--Bob Marley, Bunny Livingston, and Peter Tosh--sang for "equal rights and justice." But Tosh, the trio's take-no-prisoners militant, came on the hardest. His voice held the threat of danger, turning sufferahs' dreams and Rastafarian complaints into urgent demands. All the tracks in this remastered 1976 set--Tosh's first for an American major and his first collaboration with drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare (who went on to become reggae's legendary "riddim twins")--instantly became anthems, not just in reggae, but within the international pop lexicon. Some vintage roots reggae may strike contemporary listeners as peace and love cliché, even naive. Not Tosh. Against the background of today's turbulent social climate, Legalize It still sends chills up the spine with the sheer spectacle of a great reggae warrior's refusal to bow. --Elena Oumano Amazon.com

Legalize It

Peter Tosh-Legalize It ****


Breaching classic Reggae of peace and love with the then new and revolutionary style of reggae of standing up for your rights and basically adopting a 'Malcolm X Mentality' in the lyrics Peter Tosh managed to create one of the most legendary reggae albums of all time, as well as one of the most important.

Though most of the backing band was borrowed from Tosh's band mate Bob Marley it doesn't show as they seem to play in a fresh and new style from what they were playing with Marley at the time. This is also apparent in Tosh's vocal styling which are very different then that of Marley's. Not to mention the heavy bottom sound as oppose to Marley's love of a treble filled tone.

The songs on the albums are amazing and many of which went on to become reggae and music classics. The title track 'Legalize It' is one of the most popular and important songs in the genres history. Whether or not you agree with the songs message makes no difference because it is a great song no matter what. 'No Sympathy' is not only the strongest song on the album but in my opinion the very best song that Tosh would ever record. It is truly brilliant with a smooth groove, and chorus to get lost in. 'Why Must I Cry' is another classic though I feel it is sometimes over looked by Tosh fans because of the other classics on the album. The spiritual praise of 'Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)' can rival anything Marley was releasing at this point in his career.

Tosh left Bob Marley & The Wailers to see if he could make it on his own and not live in the shadow of Marley for the rest of his career, I think he proved him self with this, his first album.

When it is all sad and over Legalize It is not Peter Tosh best album, and in fact it is far from it but it is still one of the better reggae albums of all time, not to mention important. Over time Tosh would develop into one of the biggest names in reggae release masterpiece after masterpiece. Aside from Legalize It, other Tosh albums to check out would be Bush Doctor, Equal Rights, and maybe Mystic Man if you enjoy the others. April 2, 2008

Tosh's classic debut

Tosh's first solo album is every bit as good as his mentor's, and in some places even better - there's considerably more diversity here, and the bottom-heavy sound is a nice deviation from Marley's emphasis on treble. The songs follow a general pattern - syncopated, stripped-down reggae - but mostly include a few special touches to keep things from getting thin: stinging guitar riffs on "No Sympathy"; quirky, well-incorporated synthesizer on "Watcha Gonna Do"; an amusing piano on "Why Must I Cry" to contrast the menacing piano; fuzz guitar; and wind sound effects on "Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)". Just to really shake things up, he accomplishes a mission in reggae-country on "Till Your Well Runs Dry". A couple other tracks stick to the formula without much change at all, but even then those are pretty good: the catchy "Brand New Secondhand"; "Ketchy Shuby", mindless fun to the first degree. Oh, and the funny weed paean that is the title song, equipped with a chorus hook that's bound to stay with you forever after you've heard it. Tosh may lack the oratorical power of Marley, but his sense of humor and knack for diversity in arrangements makes up for that, and gives him the ability to craft a debut that is certainly the equal to the immortal Catch a Fire. December 29, 2007

You're just a brand new second hand gyal...

You've read the rave reviews. This album is amazing. Even though this is Tosh's first solo album, Bob Marley graciously let Peter use the Wailers band for the music on it. Also, Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt (2 of the I-Threes) and Bunny Wailer sing backup on it. Don't waste any more time. The best songs are "Burial," "Whatcha Gonna Do," "Why Must I Cry" (co-written by Bob Marley) and "Brand New Second Hand." If you don't have it and you love reggae, shame on you. It's not quite as serious in subject matter as his subsequent releases, but it is still classic Peter Tosh. It won't disappoint. August 6, 2007

Wicked

"Legalize it", Peter's first solo album after he left the Wailers in 1974, is quite simply his best effort,with 1977's "Equal Rights" coming close and of course more socially and politically relevant. But on the scale of musicality, none touches "Legalize it". The hard-driving rhythm section of the Barrett Brothers...lead guitar from the 'steppin' razor' himself... finally Peter could express himself as a solo artist, free from the artistic constraints of being a Wailer and being in the shadow of his student, Bob Marley. Peter is not an 'egomaniac' as someone on this forum commented; he simply spoke the truth very bluntly and this was a bit too difficult for some people to deal with. Yes he did teach Bob to play the guitar; saying so made it sound like blasphemy. Could it be, as he asserted, that he was just too black for some people? I tend to agree... Nonetheless, this is one of reggae's greatest albums, definitely one that will always find it's way back to my cd player. September 8, 2005

Wolde Semayat - Son of Thunder

Peter Tosh's first solo album proved beyond doubt that this artist's talent and vision was far reaching enough to break through the small confines of his little Jamaican island to reverberate across the music world enjoying great critical acclaim being even more popular today than when it was first released.

As one of the original founders of the legendary Wailers, Peter Tosh always felt stifled musically and after Island Records decided to rename the group "Bob Marley & the Wailers" for international appeal it was more than the angry rebel's pride could take. Tosh stayed with the group for their first two albums, contributing much to their initial success with gems like "400 Years," "Stop That Train" and the mighty "Get Up, Stand Up." Not to mention his incredible ability with the guitar, giving the band its original edge. His amazing compositions for songs like "Concrete Jungle," and "Stir It Up" are irreplaceable.

Becoming more disgruntled with all the attention Bob Marley was getting, Tosh finally left the band along with Bunny Livingston to pursue his own solo career. If their were any skeptics as to whether Peter Tosh could make it as an international star without Bob Marley, they were shamelessly silenced in 1976 as "Legalize It" showed that Tosh was more than capable of holding his own. Of course, that's an understatement. The truth is, "Legalize It" has become one of the most colossal Reggae albums of all time!

A photograph of the 6'3" Reggae singer curled up in a field of ganja (perhaps his own), smoking the sacramental herb of the Rastafarian religion in his pipe adorns the cover sleeve. His premature "dreadlocks" crown the head throwing shadows over his eyes; the cover of this album is worth the entire CD! The yellow border saying "collector's choice" that used to outline the cover has been dropped for the CD's reissue making the picture larger.

The songs included in the set are remakes of the artist's most popular singles during the early 70's trying to develop his own solo career while working with the Wailers at the same time. The psychedelic title track opens the album followed by the stunning "Burial." "...you want I comma comma funeral, yet no one bury I..." he sings (Rastas don't believe in attending funerals). "Why Must I Cry" is one of the few love songs Peter Tosh has and "Igziabeher" is an absolute masterpiece. Also check out the countryfied "Till Your Well Runs Dry."

A couple songs are a bit naive (almost like children's songs) but overall a classic album. February 12, 2005

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