After years of being overshadowed by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh left the Wailers to pursue a solo career.
Released in 1976, Legalize It is a bold statement that Peter Tosh had arrived and was a creative force in his own right.
Although he explores some issues of spirituality, this is Tosh's most lightweight album in the sense that it is his least political.
This is not meant as a criticism -- in fact, Tosh's playfulness and joy ("Ketchy Shuby") only add to the album's charm.
He does make political statements (the title track celebrates and promotes the use of marijuana), but they are done with a sense of humor and a melodic infectiousness that belie his sincere concern for the issues.
Tosh incorporates many instruments and mixes slower ballads with upbeat grooving tunes.
The album's highlight is "Why Must I Cry," a multi-layered song (co-written with Bob Marley) that conveys a sense of personal failure when fighting an uphill battle, whether it be against injustices of the world or within the confines of a relationship.
Legalize It cemented Tosh's position as a giant in reggae, and the album is one of the best albums of the genre.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Legalize ItPeter Tosh | Peter Tosh | Play | 04:41 | 10 MB | 28 MB |
| 2 | BurialPeter Tosh, Bunny Wailer | Peter Tosh | Play | 03:55 | 8 MB | 20 MB |
| 3 | No SympathyPeter Tosh | Peter Tosh | Play | 04:35 | 10 MB | 25 MB |
| 4 | Why Must I CryBob Marley, Peter Tosh | Peter Tosh | Play | 03:05 | 7 MB | 18 MB |
| 5 | Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)Peter Tosh | Peter Tosh | Play | 04:37 | 10 MB | 28 MB |
| 6 | Ketchy ShubyPeter Tosh | Peter Tosh | Play | 04:57 | 11 MB | 29 MB |
| 7 | Till Your Well Runs DryNeville Livingston, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer | Peter Tosh | Play | 06:09 | 14 MB | 36 MB |
| 8 | Brand New Second HandPeter Tosh | Peter Tosh | Play | 04:05 | 9 MB | 24 MB |
| 9 | Ketchy ShubyPeter Tosh | Peter Tosh | Play | 04:57 | 11 MB | 29 MB |
| 10 | Whatcha Gonna Do | Peter Tosh | Play | 02:27 | 5 MB | 13 MB |
| 11 | Ketchy Shuby (Version) | Peter Tosh | Play | 03:16 | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| 46 mins | 107 MB | |||||
| 46 mins | 274 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Anderson | Guitar |
| 2 | Al Yasha Anderson | Guitar |
| 3 | Chris Athens | Digital Mastering |
| 4 | Aston Barrett | Bass |
| 5 | Carlton "Carly" Barrett | Drums |
| 6 | Steven Berkowitz | A&R |
| 7 | Adrian Boot | Photography |
| 8 | Fin Costello | Photography |
| 9 | Bruce Dickinson | Reissue Producer |
| 10 | Tyrone Downey | Keyboards |
| 11 | Tyrone Downie | Keyboards |
| 12 | Howard Fritzson | Art Direction |
| 13 | Lee Jaffe | Associate Producer, Cover Photo, Photography, Tray Photo |
| 14 | Donald Kinsey | Guitar |
| 15 | Ras Lee | Harmonica, Harp |
| 16 | Robbie Lee | Harmonica, Harp |
| 17 | Neville Livingston | Composer |
| 18 | Andy Manganello | Assistant |
| 19 | Bob Marley | Composer |
| 20 | Rita Marley | Guest Artist, Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 21 | Patti Matheny | A&R, Artist Coordination |
| 22 | Stephan Moore | Project Director |
| 23 | Stephen Moore | Project Director |
| 24 | Pauline Morris | Executive Producer |
| 25 | Tony Mottram | Photography |
| 26 | Judy Mowatt | Guest Artist, Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 27 | Steve Newman | Design |
| 28 | Joseph M. Palmaccio | Mastering |
| 29 | Karl Pitterson | Engineer, Mixing |
| 30 | Jerry Rappaport | Mixing Producer |
| 31 | Retna | Photography |
| 32 | Aaron Rosenbaum | Packaging Manager |
| 33 | Darren Salmieri | A&R, Artist Coordination |
| 34 | Robbie Shakespeare | Bass, Guest Artist |
| 35 | Peter Simon | Photography |
| 36 | Jerry Lee Smith | Engineer, Mixing |
| 37 | Roger Steffens | Liner Notes |
| 38 | Chris Theis | Mixing |
| 39 | Peter Tosh | Arranger, Composer, Guitar, Keyboards, Primary Artist, Producer, Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 40 | Bunny Wailer | Composer, Guest Artist, Vocals (Background) |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |