Legalize It

Three observations about this album: 1) all reggae is somehow about marijuana 2) all reggae sounds like all other reggae 3) I'm not a big fan of reggae This one is fine in small doses, but certainly not my choice for a Midwest commute to work. Nothing here really speaks to me or sets itself apart, but it's fine for what it is and still rounds up to a 3/5. If the mood strikes me to reggae out, though (and the chances there are slim), I think I'll still reach for Marley.

(4/5) I like Reggae. Don't ask me to play it all the time, but it's good in small metered doses. This was fun. I'll wait another year and come back to it, or another reggae album... I mean they all **really do** sound alike. I just like that sound.. sometimes.. for a little while. If I worked on a cruise ship or in the Bahamas, it would drive me insane, but I don't. Smoke up.

If they legalized it, I might enjoyed this album more. It’s not a bad album, but reggae is not a sound I go in for in long doses. Listening to this made me appreciate a Bob Marley and the Wailers (which I see Peter is a former member of) where I can dig it for a longer time. This felt like novel ideas of songs that hadn’t been fully developed. The message carries more weight than the music evoked. Still, in appreciation of that message I’ll give it a 3/5.

the weed album!

nice!

It’s a lot of fun but a bit repetitive and loses a lot of the energy towards the end

Solid reggae album. "Legalize It" and "Brand New Second Hand" were the standouts for me, but the rest tended to blend together a bit

⭐⭐⭐+ Jag gillar det här albumet sedan tidigare. Det är väl inte reggae all time high men håller ändå hög nivå. Är inte heller så "hard-core" reggae heller utan kan tänka mig att det kan vara ganska tillgängligt även för de som inte är så inne på reggae. Skulle vilja ge det en fyra men en stark 3a känns mer rimligt. Bäst är legaluze ir, Wattcha gonna do, Igziabeher, Why must I cry, Brand new second hand

There's a few things that running through this list has taught me. One of those is that Reggae isn't really my thing. That's especially true of crappy Reggae. This fits into that category. That said, since it was taking a political stance, it could fall into the "culturally important" category. For that reason, I'm giving this 2 stars, against my better judgement.

Peter Tosh imagined that in the future 'herb would be seen like cigarettes'. I might be misquoting here I just read the wikipedia last week since I had never heard this before. I think in 2026 he is mostly correct. Back when this was recorded I understand he was facing consequences for trying to just release this song. I guess it's a luxury that in the present it's available streaming for me to hear. It's kind of just more reggae. It's not an adventurous genre as far as I can tell so I don't know how many different examples the 'must listen' list should have.

Meh… It might be on the list because of the subject matter and the time of release more than the music itself. But I guess that’s why it’s in this book: it’s important historically

7,5

A little repetitive but pretty

Closer to the reggae sound I'd rather like to have on this list. But still deeply commercialized. Tosh takes the stereotype and sentiment straight to parliament here. Herb is for the healing of a nation, and the people deserve it. There's a track on the back 4 called "Til your well runs dry" that has been deeply influential to my past songwriting and musical taste. That brings it up a full star for me.

Garbage

Couldn’t do reggae that day, but I know it and it’s good

It’s a whole vibe.

Classic reggae. Laid back. Some interesting tracks.

Great message but I didn't think the musicianship was reflected in the album

I apologize to everyone but I don’t like reggae.

Very nice

Gee I wonder what he wants legalized!!!!!!!! In all seriousness I did quite enjoy this, but it doesn't quite have the sauce of a full Wailers album like Exodus.

Immaculate vibes idc idc

A perfectly cromulent reggae album that doesn't hit any huge highs (except maybe the social commentary on Burial) or low lows.

Very environmentally dependent album. If I was on a beach with a beer in hand, this rating would be much higher. Also each song just kinda sounds the same

Pretty listenable. Not as good as BMATW though.

Shite

I didn’t listen to much as I was just not in the mood for this type of music. Reggae

It's fine. Not sure why it's on this list.

I like Tosh‘s languorous way of singing— kind of like Willie Nelson, always a half step behind the melody, doing things on their own terms. I’m not saying that their shared love of marijuana is what causes both of their idiosyncratic vocal mannerisms, but it sure is an interesting coincidence, isn’t it?! 4.5 stars.

This guy started as a Wailer and strongly advocated for Marijuana legalization, which was plain to see in his music. Powerful at the time, a bit of an anachronism in places now, but still great reggae. Could do without the looooong codas, but I guess when you're in a groove you keep grooving.

06/10/2026 Not a fan of reggae, but at least this sounded slightly different to the rest. Spotify listeners: 1.7 million

I’ll listen again when in the mood for some Reggae

Cushy weedy

Out of Bob Marley's shadow, a great album in its own right.

Not bad but wouldn’t listen by choice

Kinda hilarious concept for an album - thought it was ok

분위기는 꽤 좋았는데 4점까지는 아니어서 살짝 아쉬웠다. The atmosphere was quite good, but it wasn't quite a 4-point experience, so it was a bit of a letdown.

This one is nice

pas la plus grande fan du genre mais c'est plutôt agréable

This is the first time I have listened to this album. Overall, this is a pretty enjoyable roots reggae album. It's a little more stripped down in contrast to the later Mama Africa. It's bass, guitar, drums, a little organ, and background singers. The songs are what you expect in the genre, moving between slower paced songs and mid tempo songs. They hold up over multiple listens, but I'm not sure what makes this stand out in relation to many other, to be clear, good albums. Apparently, the controversy around the opening track created a lot of controversy and launched the singer into stardom. It feels a lot less controversial now.

Enjoying getting to know more reggae beyond Marley's greatest hits. Upbeat with potent lyrics. Such a great combination.

220. Legalize It - Peter Tosh (1976) 9.30.26 Variety: 3 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 2 Emotionality: 2 = 3.4 rounded down to a 3 "Legalize it, yeah, yeah/ That's the best thing you can do/ Doctors smoke it, nurses smoke it/ Judges smoke it, even the lawyer too" To my knowledge I've never heard a Peter Tosh solo along, much less a whole album. A while back we listened to Catch a Fire by Bob Marley and the Wailers, which Tosh played a big part in ( contributing two songs). If it's similar at all to that album, we're in pretty good hands and I expect some good outcomes. I'm not a huge reggae fan, but my tastes to run towards the early 60s stuff, with Toots and the Maytals being maybe the best exemplar. There's a ton of great stuff throughout the 60s and 70s, but the 70s stuff I find to be a bit more samey, and maybe that has to do with the outsize influence and success of Marley, and people imitating his sound. That said, there was a lot of crossover among a lot of these bands, and even with guys like Lee Perry having a production hand in a lot of it, so a similarity in sound is not unusual for what must have been an insular scene. I could make the same argument about a lot of other genres. THE TRACKS "Legalize It" - There have been plenty of legalization advocates in music, from Snoop ( on the list - already covered), to Willie Nelson (on the list - already covered) to Cypress Hill ( on the list not yet gotten to), to Cheech and Chong ( not on the list, but they charted the Billboard Top 100 once)m but Tosh may have been among the first. And he is a great spokesman. They should honestly just play this song in its entirety on some paid advertisements on every platform you can think of. He had me with teh fact that "Goats love to play with it." Sold. Solid music, if nothing spectatcular. "Burial" - A meditation on death, class, and crime. It was fine enough while I was listening, and I dug the scratch guitar work and the funky bass, but again - nothing especially groundbreaking going on here. I think it's in the lyrics that Tosh seems to shine, and this one did it's job without seeming specific enough to ever really pull much emotion from me. "What'cha Gonna Do?" - This worked much better, gaving a bit of a different sound, and giving a first person narration of a man whose dad got pinched and set up for no good reason. While not as a fiery indictment of injustice as we've seen on some Fela Kuti albums it at least is very obviously that. There's just a lot more headshaking going on, which makes me fee that this sort of thing was just a fact of life. Not sure Tosh was as interested in getting people riled up as he was in just pointing out hypocrisy and corruption, but maybe I'm wrong and we'll get some of that fire on later tracks. "No Sympathy" - Written by Tosh. but originally recorded by the Wailers on Soul Rebels ( and later covered by Eric Clapton), this one is was pretty damn good. It's got a bluesy guitar that adds a cool accent, and it's heavy and with a laser focused and emotional delivery from Tosh. Loneliness, hardship, and ostracism all come across in the vibe and easily the best song yet. The original has some great background vocals that are missing here, but the bluesy aspect makes up for that, and I think they're on par with each other. "Why Must I Cry" - Even more variety here, with soul music opening, and some up tempo romantic vibes in this tale of heartbreak and lost love. The content is pretty generic, but it's well delivered and had some cool instrumentation. "Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)" - We get our first heavily spiritual number on the album, and we find out that Jah is a giving god, but he is also a vengeful one, who will rain fire upon the oppressive and the corrupt. I really dug the sometimes jazzy piano on this, and there was plenty of cool atmosphere from the storm sound effects. I do wish Tosh had put a little bit more emotion into his delivery though. "Ketchy Shuby" - Had to look this one up, but apparently this is slang for sexy times. I mean it sounds like a fun night is planned, but the song itself is pretty one note, as bouncy and pleasant as it was. I would agree with Robert Christau's assessment of this as a "novelty" track. Which is fine I guess. "Till Your Well Runs Dry" - We get some more blues touches, especially on the verses which are forlorn and bitter, and then the chorus hits and the bounce comes in and it goes full reggae. I think I even heard some harmonica in there. Definitely stands out for this genre as a unique sound, but can't say it did much for me aside from get my toe tapping a bit. "Brand New Second Hand" - This one felt almost like a throwback track to a slightly earlier reggaue era, and even had a rougher production sound which suited it quite a bit. That, along with the awesome guitar and bass work, and the background vocalists on loan from the Wailers made this one my favorite over all track. A great closer. HIGHLIGHTS - "What'cha Gonna Do?" - "No Sympathy" - "Why Must I Cry" - "Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)" - "Brand New Second Hand" MIDLIGHTS - "Legalize It" - "Burial" - "Ketchy Shuby" - "Till Your Well Runs Dry" LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS Catch a Fire, had "Stir it Up", which is in it's favor, but I think for sheer variety and enjoyment I liked this one a bit better. No knock on Marley and company as that one got a very solid 3.4 so was on the border of being rounded up. The sameyness on this one didn't hit me as hard because it seems liked Tosh mixed things up more and used a lot more interesting instrumentation, and drew from other genres more. Tosh is a fine vocalist, but I think that's where Marley gets the definite edge on him, with the ability to get across real emotion in a much more naturalistic way. Throughout this, I felt in several spots that Tosh's laid back delivery felt at odds with the messaging. That and a few of the songs made this feel like a much lighter album than the Wailers one. Otherwise though, this was damn solid. My ceiling for reggae in general is low enough that I could not justify anything other than a similar rating to Catch a Fire. This was a pleasant enough experience throughout, and I had no major complaints, but I doubt any of it will stick with me after an hour or two. Tosh will pop up a few more times I think on other Wailers albums, so he'll get more chances than most to impress again. Possible turn-Offs might include: - an abundance drug references - the sameyness that a lot of reggae can fall into - political and spiritual messaging You Might enjoy this if you: - voted for the Legalize Cannabis Party candidate in your last election cycle - enjoy tasty rhythms - have a party to throw and didn't have time to come up with a playlist PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - I'd add those highlights to a reggae playlist, sure FURTHER LISTENING Precursors: - Studio One Selector by Various - Heart of the Congos - The Congos - Funky Kingston by Toots & The Maytals - Soul Rebels by Bob Marley and the Wailers Contemporaries: - Satta Massagana by The Abyssinians - War Ina Babylon by Max Romeo and The Upsetters - Super Ape by Lee Perry and The Upsetters - Inchpinchers by Wailing Souls Descendants: - Prisoner by Lucky Dube - Jerusalem by Alpha Blondy - Black Woman & Child by Sizzla- Black Sunday by Cypress HIll - 40oz. to Freedom by Sublime - Chronology by Chronixx - Françafrique by Tiken Jah Fakoly

The other Sept 11 tragedy. This is one of my favourite albums.

I thought I would enjoy this one more …first listen. Perhaps I need more spins to appreciate it

Yup. That’s reggae

This is tosh

I know this was a very influential reggae album and I can see its importance in that, however, it’s not something I would listen to often.

Great Reggae album. One drops galore. Mixed themes with politically / spirituality motivated songs, songs about growing up in the Jamaican lower classes and songs on love and heart break. Vocals right up at the front of the mix and prominent, allowing you to hang on Tosh's every word. Some fantastic Riddim and basslines. Igziabeher has a fantastic piano section that cuts right through the typical riddim.

Good message, wrong messenger. Overall, fuck Ronald Reagan. 3/5

Not much stood out to me, though I do love the grooves.

It was fine

I am a big fan of reggae

This is exactly what I want in a reggae album, except I’m not a big fan of reggae.

Lock in and listen to all of the improvisation and experimentation going on within the form on this record, then tell me "all reggae sounds the same". Ketchy Shuby feels out of place with the rest of the songs and themes of this album, but I guess it has that same kind of subversion and playing with form that weaves throughout.

Is this the first reggae album we've gotten? Was cannabis really not legal in Jamaica until 2015? Seems like a lot of forgone tax revenue. Perfectly nice album.

My college roommate had a few Peter Tosh cassettes back in the day and they were always a fun listen. It's been awhile and they still hit the spot. Peter Tosh has a fantastic, expressive voice, and his backing band is phenomenal. Gets a little samey at times, but it's a fabulous samey.

ö ich kenn de ersti logisch. tönt guet im ernst. hetter schlimmer vorgstellt am 6.24 am morge. why must i cry cooli gitarre. er het au e saugueti stimm findi. ketchy shuby? was heisst das??

wnl han nöd gwüsst, dass legalize it vo ihm isch, eifach en guete song, mitem super hindergrundgsang no sympathy ISCH HAAARD die mischig vo reggae und blues passt hueere ketchy shuby isch ener nervig hahahah till your well runs dry isch au en coole mix! würkli no es villsiitigs album. glaub es guets 3 isches? oder es knapps 4i?

Righteous - but not as good as Bunny Wailer's Black Heart Man, released in the same timeframe. 4 stars, all the same.

Perfectly nice stoner music. Message falls a little flat now that it’s so widely legalized, and I can only listen to reggae in small doses.

High and mighty

I bought Peter Tosh's second album, Bush Doctor, because I liked his duet with Mick Jagger, (You Gotta Walk) Don't Look Back. I became a fan when I was so impressed with rest of the album. I hadn't heard this album before now, but I really like it. His songs that go beyond reggae like Till Your Well Runs Dry help push this album beyond just another reggae album.

7/10 Was not on-board at the start, but I enjoyed it more as the album went on. Exactpy what I want from reggae.

sure pal

Good old school reggae album knew who Peter tosh was never really listened to an album of his

Mjög ljúft og næs bara hjá Pésa. Sammála útgangspunkti plötuheitisins.

Hverju orði sannara.

I’ll make a deal. We can legalise it, if people who make it their personality promise to shut up about it forever

Slightly bored by this, but I'm not a massive fan of this type of reggae. Opening track was amusing though.

A really enjoyable listen. Shame this album came up on a miserable September day instead of in June

Squeezy listening reggae. Doesn't venture outside of its self ascribed box but give me an 8-pack and this in a British heatwave and i'm having a great afternoon in the garden

Well, the drive to work was more chill than usual with "slower than usual traffic despite being on the fastest route."

There was a time when I listened to a lot of Peter Tosh. Listening to it now though, I don’t hear anything that exciting. It’s a 3, at best.

I thought this would be all about weed and was ready to roll my eyes about it but outside of the title track he didn't really mention it. 7/10

✌️

And then they did

A man ahead of his time, grooves meant to be bopped to...I'm in.

I impulsively found the title 'Legalize It' pretty funny, and I'm not sure how seriously it takes itself, even after listening to it. Regardless, this was some good-ass reggae, a genre I'm pretty unfamiliar with, but I can still confidently say that this has everything I want out of a Reggae album (it only makes sense; Peter Tosh played with Bob Marley, apparently). There's a warm psychadelic tint to this whole thing, and the movement is very steady, very chill, sorta sparse, but undeniably melodic and beautiful, especially with songs like 'Burial' and 'No Sympathy' - songs that feel like they do so much with so little. I also really enjoyed 'Why Must I Cry'; the harmonies here felt very raw and sort of subdued, but they worked nicely on this fuzzy psychadelic heartbreak anthem. The deep rastafarian praises of 'Igziabeher' were great too; the song feels much louder and more dramatic than anything else here, channelling this sort of massive religious feel with heavy keys and dense layers of instrumentation. Otherwise, this whole record feels like a lazy afternoon in a sufficiently air-conditioned, but sort of run-down beachside house - in the best way possible, of course. The vocals I really dig too; they feel very sincere, communicating a lot of emotion without ever going over the top. It complements the very non-flashy production on this album as well. It's an aspect of Reggae that I'll always enjoy. They're just so easy to listen to, completely warm and welcoming. Tosh also has his fair share of catchy vocal licks here, like with 'Ketchy Shuby' and that title track, of course. Really loved this thing, honestly more than a lot of the BM & the Wailers stuff; I can just exist in this atmosphere for eternity. Definitely a gem I'll be revisiting often.

Old school reggaemusik. Helt ok men inget som utmärker sig.

wise words indeed

Budskapet er bedre enn musikken.

Liked this one from Tosh

I got this album right after a colleague got drunk and spent the entire party trying to look for something to smoke. Funny times; the album itself was alright, sadly early reggae is very uneventful, all songs sound almost the same.

Pop leaning reggae with some sweet grooves and some nice melancholia. I think I like Tosh when he is lighter and happier (Whatcha Gonna Do is infectious fun) but not too light and happy (not a big fan of Ketchy Shabby). There are some weaker tracks, especially on the B side, but pretty nice.

I thought I was going to hear something edgier and more rigorous. But while yes, the title track is a political call, the album as a whole is canny sonic pleasure. I’m no reggae expert, but it seems like it might have pioneered reggae pop. At any rate, it’s a joy.

I agree.

They DID legalize it!!!

Legaliiiiiiize it

Probably the most I've enjoyed a reggae album, which isn't saying much as I've only listened to about 4 or 5. This was a pretty good groove though.

Better than Coldplay

Tosh really shines on the Wailers records during his solo spots. There’s a dead serious, yet rich quality to his Catch a Fire contributions that contrasts with Marley’s more expressive range. In a collective and as a songwriting partner, this balance works to the betterment of the entire group, but on his own, this tendency is a lot to take across an entire record. That’s often the challenge for all second vocalists/performers, but particularly so when the lead is *Bob Marley*.

Yes weed is great, we hear you. Maybe get another hobby.

I really don’t know much about reggae, but there’s a lot to appreciate. The production is relaxing and Tosh’s melancholic vocals complement the depressing lyrics.

Finally, actual Reggae The theming is very on point here; messages are exceedingly clear. Compared to the other “reggae” albums we had, it feels much more authentic and closer to the identity the genre had when it became popular. I really liked Till Your Well Runs Dry, was starting to get a little sick of the repetitive beats and vocal style for a bit but that one really showed his range and I appreciate that. I do like the vocals for the most part, and reggae just has such a soothing set of instrumental standards Like I said though, unless they’re trying something different songs really do start bleeding into each other after a while and the variety really suffers. It’s not too big of a deal but eventually it feels like you’ve kinda heard the whole album despite being halfway done. I also think the musics just above average, nothing special aside from the one song I liked a lot Either way, this is clearly a good album and definitely my pick out of the 3 we’ve gotten. Can see what Bob Marley saw in this guy

its got a bit of a rock influence here, which helps elevate it from its base genre, but man reggae is just too samey for me. appreciate the politics actually being the music and not some message attached to the music.

not for me - first song felt too spot on but maybe was more revolutionary for the time

bruh why is "ketchy shuby" five minutes long. this album was kinda ehh, not my thing for the most part.

It makes the best it can out of a limited genre, and it generally sounds nice doing it, although the title track is still a notable standout

Good for Reggae