Peter Tosh - Legalize It
SACD rip via PS3 to iso  | Columbia CS65922 | ASIN: B00005UOU8 | Dec., 2001 | 2.61 GB

Checksum: f87a1697b9b38c29e8a9d464cfe8f0fc *PETER TOSH - LEGALIZE IT.iso

With its distinctive rhythmic style characterized by accents on the off-beat, reggae music became enormously popular by the mid-70s. Brought to a mass audience by films like The Harder They Come & Rockers, it soon became, according to music critic Sam Re, “popular music’s best shot in the arm in years.” Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, & Peter Tosh were its triumvirate of giants. 



Peter Tosh’s best songs are all distinctive within the reggae style: the easy loping rhythm of “Equal Rights” & “Legalize It,” the eminently danceable “No Sympathy,” the sharp tempo shift between verse and chorus in “Till Your Well Runs Dry,” & the urgent woody percussion of “Stepping Razor,” that angry street song that made it onto the Rockers soundtrack. His lyrics were often socially engaged. The highly secular “Downpresser Man” was loosely based on the motoric Nina Simone spiritual “Sinnerman,” but with notable differences in lyrics:

Downpresser man

You can’t bribe no one

Them no want no money

Them run’f money

That money get funny.



Like Bob Marley, he even campaigned for Michael Manley, Jamaica’s democratic socialist prime minister. Songs like “Equal Rights” spotlighted the reactionary role of religion & pointed out other contradictions within society, even within the movement itself (“Everyone is crying out for peace, yes/None is crying out for justice.”). The music is invariably catchy & infectious. 

Like Marley (1945-1981), Tosh (1944-1987) died young, killed perhaps by his own humanity (he’d befriended a murderous criminal, trying to help him). His heritage is with us still, even these days as Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, & Ke$ha are busily strip-mining our musical landscape. 35 years ago, Peter Tosh, perhaps naively, imagined his music had the power to transform society. Today, it is no small loss that we cannot.


      Tracks:

  1. Legalize It 
  2. Burial 
  3. Whatcha Gonna Do 
  4. No Sympathy 
  5. Why Must I Cry 
  6. Igziabeher (Let Jam Be Praised) 
  7. Ketchy Shuby 
  8. Till Your Well Runs Dry 
  9. Brand New Second Hand 
10. Ketchy Shuby (Instrumental)

Backing Vocals – Bunny Wailer, Judy Mowatt, Rita Marley
Bass – Aston "Family Man" Barrett
Co-producer, Photography – Lee Jaffe
Drums – Carlton "Santa" Davis, Carlton Barrett
Engineer – Jerry Smith, Karl Pitterson
Guitar – Al Anderson (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 7, 9), Donald Kinsey (tracks: 4, 8)
Harp – Ras Lee, Robbie Lee
Keyboards – Tyrone Downey*
Photography [Additional] – Kim Gottlieb, Madeline Scott, Seth Shaw
Producer, Arranged By, Keyboards, Guitar [Reggae Guitar], Backing Vocals, Written-by – Peter Tosh
Written-by [Co-writer] – N. Livingston* (tracks: 2, 8)

Notes▼
Recorded in Kingston Jamaica at Treasure Isle and Randys. 
Mixed at CBS Studios, NYC.
Special thanks to: YUCK, Arma Andon, Jim Foley, Mike Pillot, who made the trip and survived to tell about it. 
Also Ron McCarrell, Dick Wingate and Andy Engel
Barrett Brothers & Bunny Wailer appear on courtesy of Island Records
SACD 5.1 ch + 2.0 ch 
Does not play on CD player.