Peter Tosh, "Legalize It"

Mitch takes us higher with a reggae legend

Mitch’s Pitch:

Growing up in Springsteen Country, I spent most of my childhood believing that the world was 50% Jewish, 50% Italian, and 100% powered by motherly guilt. Imagine my surprise when I learned that there were actually other kinds of people in the world.

Worse still, there were hardly any cool Jews in popular culture for us to emulate. We had Yentl and the Jazz Singer (lame) and we had Magneto and Kitty Pryde (imaginary). And if it wasn’t for the influence of Diamond David Lee Roth I probably would never have become the world famous rock and roll front man that you know me as today.

But we had reggae music. And reggae music was undeniably awesome and inexplicably Jewish.  I didn’t know any Rastafarians (or black people) at the time, but I definitely knew all the themes woven into reggae music, for they were the same ideas we discussed in Hebrew school: freedom and the exodus, redemption and faith, oppression and fear.

And I learned through reggae music that there were other people in the world who were very, very different from me, but also kind of similar, too.

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Peter Tosh’s Legalize It is an album that celebrates the use of marijuana for medical, spiritual and recreational purposes, but it is so much more. In some ways the name and the cover do the album a disservice by making it seem like a novelty record, when it is a truly classic reggae album that is wonderful from start to finish.

The anthemic title track inspired me to claim treatment of my “umara composis” for many years, even if I wasn’t really suffering from menstrual pain.  “Burial” is a song of resistance in the face of violence. “Whatcha Gonna Do” is an upbeat song about being beaten down and arrested for smoking weed or some other BS. “No Sympathy” is a stellar example of Al Anderson's deft and tasteful lead guitar work countering Tosh’s passionate vocals, and “Why Must I Cry” closes side A with beautiful female backing vocals, another tight guitar solo, and more stellar vocal work from Tosh.

“Igziabeher” goes Old Testament with a rousing call of faith, and a warning that the wicked will eventually suffer. “Ketchy Shuby” immediately lightens the mood with an irresistible sing-a-long about ketchying, shubying, dropping, popping and other things that are either about playing a Jamaican ball game, smoking a joint, or having sex (or perhaps all of the above.)  "Till Your Well Runs Dry” is a bluesy-ska warning to an unfaithful lover, and “Brand New Secondhand” ends the album far too soon with a short tale about inner beauty and the deceptions of outward appearances.

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Music has the power to move us physically, intellectually and spiritually. It has the strength to expose people to different cultures and ideas, and it has the ability to connect people who have seemingly nothing in common.

Legalize It is a special album full of captivating music and important ideas. It stands tall with the best reggae music - and all the best music - in the world. It’s also an album that opened my eyes in so many ways and I remain truly grateful for it.

April 20 is International Peter Tosh Day. A day dedicated to a person who spent his life fighting for justice and equality, a man who tragically became a martyr for his cause. Yes, Tosh fought for the legalization of cannabis, but he also fought for so much more; His memory remains a blessing, his music remains a gift, and his words remain as meaningful and relevant as the day they were first written:

Everyone is crying out for peace, yes

None is crying out for justice

I don't want no peace

I need equal rights and justice

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Ken’s Response:

You hear the familiar beats of the congas, and the steel drums kick in a couple measures later.  There’s usually a wood block or a cowbell too, some sort of “extra” percussion.  The bass line starts, followed by a staccato-heavy guitar lick.  And finally, you hear the Caribbean accent of the vocals.  The very sound of the music commands the sun to shine brighter, the flowers to smell sweeter, and the rum drinks to taste rum-ier.  It’s classical conditioning at it’s best, and I guess that makes me Pavlov’s dog. 

I’m not sure I’ve ever actually given a critical listen to reggae.  I’ve heard hundreds of songs from the genre, but for me it’s always background music.  Now the background is usually a lot of fun.  It’s a beach party, a backyard barbeque, or a friend’s boat for a relaxing day in the sun.  There are always drinks involved, and 9 times out of 10 it ends with a lot of dancing and general merriment.  But it’s still background music and I can’t ever see that changing.  

Music has transportative capabilities when it’s done right; and we need to give credit to the genre for taking that ability to the next level.  When I hear the first notes of any reggae song, I want to put my left arm out and have a red solo cup of something strong and fruity spontaneously appear in my hand.  That’s the extent of it though.  I don’t know if I’ve ever, or will ever, listen to reggae outside of a very specific set of circumstances.

Unfortunately, we had Peter Tosh’s Legalize It on a week which happened to be cold and rainy (it even had the audacity to snow for several hours one day), in which work was crazy, and I had to get my taxes done.  It wasn’t warm and sunny, there was no barbeque, and a delicious cocktail didn’t magically appear before me.  

• Pitch Failed

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CJ’s Response:

We’ve had several major breakthroughs recently at the EONS home office. As four guys with divergent musical tastes, we’ve struggled to find where our individual Venn diagrams intersect. It’s especially difficult to find where my circle overlaps with the others because my love of hard rock and metal can be, let’s say, polarizing. However, earlier this month we learned that Ken and I intersect at Stevie Ray Vaughan. And then just last week we discovered that Don and I intersect at The Pretenders. Now, if you took this whole preamble to mean that Mitch and I were going to intersect at Peter Tosh, I’m afraid I have some disappointing news.

Reggae music is fun, even when its themes aren’t. It’s hard not to move your body when that rhythm section kicks in. But, the thing that really makes reggae appealing to the casual fan is its encouragement of illicit behavior in the form of pot smoking. Now that pot is legal, the whole subversive element is gone. In 1976, singing about legalization was scandalous. But, this is 2021 and I passed no fewer than a dozen billboards for cannabis stores on my drive from Boston to New Jersey this weekend. Peter Tosh may as well be singing about moonshine four decades after Prohibition ended. It’s legal, dude. So, now what?

Well, now we’ve got some bouncy religious songs, some inspirational political songs and, if we’re being honest, some mediocre love songs. It’s a nice collection and it’s an easy listen, but structurally and lyrically it is very, very, very repetitive. Also, it repeats itself.

I’m sure that true reggae fans appreciate this record on a much deeper level than I’ll ever understand. And I respect that devotion. But, for me, the well ran dry really fast.

• Pitch Failed

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Don’s Response: 

I’ve been sitting here, paralyzed on my couch, unable to do anything with this record. Maybe I should grab a snack. 

Ok, I’m back now, and I’m feeling even lazier than before. Because Peter Tosh’s Legalize It has officially sapped my energy. 

Sure, it feels good. But everything just keeps spinning in place. Round and round again. Wait, didn’t I just hear this song? Did I even turn the record over? I forget. Screw it, I give up.

That’s the problem with reggae. It’s unnecessarily, needlessly redundant. 

Oh wait, what’s this? Something called “Till Your Well Runs Dry.” Have I heard this before? Why yes, it’s the William Bell-penned Stax classic, with Tosh’s backing band mercifully starting with a standard time signature, featuring some tasty guitar and piano accoutrements. Even the reggae-fied chorus works. Kind of.

But Tosh’s take pales in comparison to the original, as well as better cover versions performed by Otis Redding (soulful), Taj Mahal (bluesy), and The Byrds (cosmically countrified). 

I rest my case.

Much as I tried to motivate myself to find more redeeming qualities, I just couldn’t. 

Sorry, Mitch, this one doesn’t move me. 

• Pitch Failed

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Mitch’s pitch was mid (as the kids say) and Peter Tosh’s Legalize It has been exiled from the Newbury St. Collection.

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We’re going to need you to get up, stand up and head over to the comments section to let us know what you think about Peter Tosh’s Legalize It.

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Please join us next week as Ken tries to find what he’s looking for (more successful pitches) with a little album by U2 called The Joshua Tree.