Legalize It

Here's Peter Tosh calling for the legalization of marijuana in 1976 (in Jamaica). Tosh also said "Herb will become like cigarettes," in an NME interview in 1978. Yet here we are, 46 years later, and cigarettes have become much less common and marijuana is still not culturally acceptable at the level Tosh was pleading for. Five years after this album was released, President Nixon called for a "War on Drugs" as part of the tough-on-crime platform of the Republican Party, and countless lives have been ruined by this war in the years since. In Jamaica, possession of up to 2 oz. of ganja was decriminalized in 2015, and in 2018 the first medical cannabis dispensary opened after medical marijuana was legalized. In the United States, marijuana is legalized in 18 states, 2 territories, and the District of Columbia – but illegal at federal level. Decriminalized in another 13 states and 1 territory. Despite these recent changes, 8.2 million Americans were arrested for marijuana between 2001 and 2010, and 80% of those were for simple possession. On top of that, blacks are 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana than whites. The numbers improved only slightly from 2010-2020, mostly offset by increases in methamphetamine arrests. Over 40,000 Americans are in prison for marijuana offenses, and millions more have criminal records that impact their quality of life. The War on Drugs is a failure. Legalize It.

Give me 85 degrees, a beach, and a cooler full of beer and this album is a 5.

I opened the first legal aquaponic cannabis growing facility in Washington State. I ran my business for over 5 years, and then sold it. The profits from that sale bought me and my wife a farm in the county where we raise our now raise our two beautiful girls. I believe that I have lived Tosh's dream. I am so grateful to everyone who came before me and fought for our right to enjoy this plant. Thank you Peter!

You smoke weed. I get it.

Legalize It cemented Tosh's position as a giant in reggae, and the album is one of the best albums of the genre.

I'm sorry but all regge sounds the same THIS IS 40 MINUTES OF THE SAME SONG WH

Was ok. Wouldn't really listen again

Good to hear reggae albums not featuring Bob Marley for a change, though I do like his stuff. This was consistently great throughout as well which is an extra bonus. Love how there's meaningful messages and really good music to back it..Highly recommended listen.

This was almost exactly what I expected it to be. Bloopy reggae jams that are criminally inoffensive, but generally boring. There is harmonies and stuff I like here, as they remind me of some great 50s and early 60s doo-wop, but otherwise this is stereotypical. Sure, albums like this had to be a thing for this sound to be stereotypical, but that doesn't make it any less so to a modern set of ears.

I'm no big Reggae enjoyer. But some tracks on here i found quite enjoyable! I doubt this will stick for years to come though. Standout tracks: Legalize It, No Sympathy, Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised, Ketchy Shuby, 4 out of 10

Amazing, lush, melancholy, relaxed

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Legalize it, Why must I cry, Ketchy shuby, Till your well runs dry

Love it! Varied song themes, great instrumentation, great vibes. Legalize!

Wow. Such a great reggae album. Love the cadence and delivery on the vocals. Incredible instrumentals and backup vocals. Great lyrics and storytelling from the case for legal weed to good vs evil to loyalty and fleeting beauty. Compelling and various composition throughout. Never stale reggae sound. Burial, whatcha gonna do, why must I cry, legalize it.

Great songs and sounds. Strong start with "Legalize It." "Ketchy Shuby" bumps and "Brand New Second Hand" is a great diss track. The bits of piano really enhance the musical layering. Tosh singing on "Till Your Well Runs Dry" rather than reggae styling is really interesting. Only track I didn't really like was Igziabeher.

feels fresh & original after his work with the wailers. fav track: burial

A very nice and enjoyable album. I liked it.

Peter Tosh flexes his musical gift with this solo effort with the backing Wailers. Tosh proves he can function in his own spotlight without Marley and comes away with good vibes and a message.

Ketchup Shuby was my fave

Good shit, man. I'm not a huge reggae fan, never bought a single album, but I can listen to this all day.

I think I (or my brother) bought this album in the 70s. I remember not being in love with it, possibly I was comparing Peter to the only other reggae guy I knew, Bob. I like it better now, the rootsy feel, the keyboards (clavinet?) and the song-writing is solid - lots of memorable tunes on the side 1. Side 2 not as catchy. Between a 3 and a 4 but since I'm in a good mood...

An utter joy after 2 Iron Maiden albums. I knew this was his first post-Wailers album - and the important political message behind it (not just about cannabis). Not perfect, but essential listening.

Perfect kick back on the beach album.

I remember listening to Legalize It back in the day and thinking "This guy actually thinks they will legalize weed. What's he smoking?" 25 years after he died he is smiling in his grave. Tosh also wrote some tunes on The Wailers' albums before he moved on. It seems Bob had a one or two song cap on Tosh tunes per LP similar to the cap John and Paul gave George. There are some good tunes on this one including Burial and No Sympathy in addition to the title track. Till the Well Runs Dry is very clever with the verses and solo done in a blues style and the chorus in a Reggae style. He lays down a good solo in No Sympathy and his guitar work makes this song much better than the version previously released with The Wailers. Around the time this album was released Bob released Exodus. I suppose comparing these two albums validates the two song cap. 

Gorgeous and totally without fuss, fully-formed grooves unroll as if they've always existed and are just popping out to stretch their legs. Such is the gift of the magi-musician.

It was fine. Not especially memorable.

Forgettable

What a silly Billy, doesn’t he realize that the devils lettuce has been legalized in most states these days

Reggae sux

Love my weed. I do not like Raggae. When I smoke weed, I do not like Raggae. When I smoke weed, I like Tosh.0, but not Peter Tosh. That was a hilarious, inappropriate show. I would think most weed lovers would like Tosh.0. Of course, if you're stoned, you probably enjoy a lot things you wouldn't when not stoned. But in my case, not raggae music. All this talk about being stoned makes me want to eat a doughnut. Mmmmm, doughnuts. Especially chocolate covered doughnuts. Anything chocolate. Mmmmm, weed. Great album cover. All I got. 5 for cover 1 for the music 5 for making me think of weed AND chocolate doughnuts

Never been a fan of rastafari music because of its blatant sexism and homophobia. But yeah. Smoke some more weed and claim one love. As long as it's your narrowly defined definition. No thanks

I really don't like reggae. I listened to this album and it felt like one long song.

Reggae. No.

legalizeeeeeee it

5, based album

Muito bom!

Trying my best not to give everything five stars . Aw well

I think it's the first reggae album I bought. Love the riddims.

Don't be fooled by the simple and clear message (agreeing or not) at the beginning and in the album's title. There's a lot going on and to me this album just gets better the longer it runs. Especially Tosh's feeling for melody and the guitar play makes this a great listen.

9/10 good vibes, love reggae the mixing on some of these songs were a bit weird but idc, still sounds great

LEGALIZE!

Sorry I missed this. Fucking legendary album. Even the goats love it.

very cool

You're only acting like You are somebody But I don't no say You know nobody You're only a show off Your painted face, yeah But underneath that face Your just a disgrace Amazing album, I agree that this is one that everyone should hear. 5/5

Pure chill reggae. Him and Robert (Marley) were the GOATs !

🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲

Le ga liiiiiiiize iiiiiit yeeaaah. Yeaaaah.

I just love reggae. He’s the man!

🕴

This is Quintessential Reggae, outside of Marley of course. But a fellow Wailer is still a vital part of the music.

Extremely enjoyable reggae outing

Love it

A really great find and I did not expect to enjoy this album or be able to differentiate it from other reggae albums I have heard. This is an excellent album and I love hearing Tosh do reggae songs that are not all political. I have always enjoyed Bob Marley's music and I find this album to be on-par with Marley's best work.

Jah-Man! Excellent Album!

Jah

Legendary

I absolutely love Bob Marley, so it’s great to be introduced to other members of The Wailers. I’m gonna be expanding my repertoire of reggae now. The beach playlist is getting better! And yeah, I think we should legalize it, too. And free every person in prison who has been preyed upon.

Fun

Yeah mon

A classic I've heard hundreds of times. Outstanding reggae.

Despite being a big fan of this era of reggae, the wailers, and bob marley, this album still exceeded my expectations this was great. There's a quality to tosh's voice that feels unique amongst the various powerful voices of early reggae and ska and makes a lot of these songs feel closer to the american soul music of the day than a lot of other acts. His vocals are tender and sweet yet he will absolutely command your attention when he needs to in a way that makes this album's blend of politics, love, and heartbreak gel so perfectly with his performance that this album flows effortlessly. Doesn't hurt that the sweet little guitar parts all over the record also sound absolutely heavenly

Vibes

Äntligen ett reggaealbum. Riktigt bra dessutom. Det var även lite skillnad till annan reggae enligt mig dessutom. Mer soul och blues inflytande definitivt. Unik och passande röst och schyssta instrumentalister. Även om jag håller med om vad han sjunger om så är det inte texten som intresserar mig, utan musiken. Som trummis så har reggae gett stort inflytande på mig och därför tycker jag att det är svårt att göra ett dåligt reggaealbum, om man är bra musiker det vill säga. Samma som med disco så låter nästan allt ganska lika men det gör inget enligt mig. Alla låtar på denna var bra så jag kan inte ge den något annat än en femma.

Astonishingly rich. Praise Jah for this being so “Ketchy Shuby” – and not just tonight but for 40+ years now. Not sure this is positive medical advice (def not good for asthma; for tuberculosis and thrombosis perhaps). Every cut works and offers charm or sharpness or depth or all three. A marvel and immensely enjoyable and happy-making besides.

Dope

Best Peter Tosh album, lots of classic reggae songs, not as good as all the Bob Marly & The Wailers albums in this list, but still: 9/10.

Ja man!

Old School Reggae

Not a big fan of Reggae but this was nice to listen to.

This was pretty good! Legalize It itself is very good song, and the album (while short) is really solid. I think I'll definitely come back to it.

Actually pretty good. Definitely see how the rhythm section influenced other bands I like.

Would have been timely on 4:20!

4.1

Great reggae

Mellow reggae. This is great weed smoking music haha

Alles groovt erwartungsgemäß und doch ist das ein Reggae mit bluesy/folky Anteilen, Klavier Einsätzen, Dub Andeutungen, überhaupt super Songs, die eine oft generische Selbstbezogenheit des Genres mit Leichtigkeit transzendieren. Tolle Platte. 3.9

Un dels clàssics del roots reggae, amb temes mítics, com 'Legalize It' o 'Till Your Well Runs Dry'; i d'altres també top, com 'No Sympathy' o 'Why I Must Cry'. Encara dins l'ona dels Wailers, un disc a l'alçada dels de Marley en aquells anys

No sé, siento que no necesitaba escucharlo antes de morir, pero sí que me parecieron chidas Igziabeher y Burial, no me esperaba un sonido tan dark en este disco y no simpathy de hecho está bastante simpática. Mood: Me da dos motas, por favor

I thought it was a solid 3 but then I was looking through for special mentions and more than half the songs - so I guess a 4 then...

3.6 enjoyable

As good as any Bob Marley album

Super vibey!! Not as good as Exodus for me personally, but would definitely listen again.

Good

A grower. Has a lot of rasta spirituality infused in it. Took a while before I liked it, but it's good. Best song: Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised). Worst song: Ketchy Shuby.

Great chill music for the backyard

Every song on this album is catchy and interesting. No low points. Great example of classic Reggae.

Een van de muzikanten van Bob Marley die een eigen carrière begon ... Ik vind het eigenlijk nog best leuke muziek om naar te luisteren. Het eerste nummer is wel heel stereotiep, maar daarna is het eigenlijk best genieten. Naast het typische reggae ritme heb je geinige gitaarsolo's, wat electronische geluidjes en zo af en toe een heel poppie melodietje. Ik denk dat dit zeker in zijn genre een heel goed album is.

Iree! Good stuff. Treading familiar ground, but still nice. Makes a giod companion piece to Bob Marley's Uprising.

As far as the genre goes, this is pretty clearly at the top with Marley. Not music I’ll likely listen to again but maybe on a beach vacation or something.

A reggae classic

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Reggae is better when it's not boring bob

Catchy tunes with plenty of depth, assuming you don't mind reggae.

Powerful, dank and dirty. 4.5.

On par with Bob Marley's best.

Peter Tosh and Bob Marley are like the Lennon & McCartney of Reggae. Both are absolute pillars of influence in the genre. While Marley gets the lion's share of attention, this album proves how capable and even masterful Peter Tosh was in the absence of Marley.

Good tunes, reggae up there with the greats.

Legalize it

Classic Reggae sound. Haven't heard this album in a long time and really enjoyed it. Such a summer vibe.

A-fucking-men.

Not my usual type of listen, but quite enjoyed it