Legalize It

Legalize It It’s always tricky with reggae albums, obviously the music is relatively formulaic, with minor, nuanced variations, so it really comes down to whether you enjoy it as a whole listening experience. And this is a great listening experience, there's some great, upbeat grooves and melodies, Ketchy Shuby is particularly catchy, and I love his voice - at turns cajoling and forthright, but also sweet and tender. And the sound of the whole album is superb, with that customary 70s analogue warmth. It does also incorporate some unexpected ideas, like the baroque piano on Igziabeher, and the bluesy guitar intro to You Don’t Miss Your Water, and what sounds like synthesisers on Brand New Second Hand, but generally it grooves along in typically enjoyable easy going way Straightforward 4. 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲 Playlist submission: Legalize It

A great album from another vastly underrepresented genre in the list. After it had finished I let Spotify radio keep playing, and had a day full of reggae beats. So many unbelievable tracks and musicians, none of whom are on this list. 4.5*

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.

Nice reggae grooves from one of the masters of the genre

Very fun album. Love when he says pot is good for asthma. And the flu. Lmao

#309/1001 🇯🇲 Other than the first track this is my first listen. Whilst the subject matter isn't always upbeat its an enjoyable listen and Ketchy Shuby is ridiculously catchy. It follows in the vein of the music he did with The Wailers and whilst this doesn't hit the same as Marley it made my morning. Best Tracks: Burial, No Sympathy, Ketchy Shuby, Till Your Well Runs Dry.

What could be more reggae than an album full of protest songs for the legalization of weed? And it's a pretty good if standard reggae album, to boot. The genre admittedly leaves little room for variation, but even within that this album is pretty standard. Its lyrical themes are standard for the genre, though the title track was certainly thought-provoking if nothing else. It was also the only protest song for the legalization of weed, unfortunately.

Sometimes an album’s just not for you, no real reason, it just doesn’t connect and that’s where I am with this. Not bad, not good, just meh!

I generally like reggae, and this is a very typical reggae album. I liked his voice and thought some of the tracks were catchy, but there was nothing special about it. He’s no Bob Marley, but then who is? There are better ways to listen to this album (in the summer, with a glass of wine), but there are worse ways to spend a cold, November night. Very much a middle 2.5* rating, but there was nothing all that special about it to justify going up.

I don't think I understand why this album made the cut. I mean, it's alright but ultimately extremely forgettable. Towards the end, my ears pricked up and I thought to myself "Oh, I like this track!". On checking my music player, I discovered Peter Tosh had stopped and it was autoplaying Marcus Garvey. 2/5

This was a good one. I had a fun time with it

I doubt I'll be taking Dr Tosh's medical advice any time soon.

I agree with the title track while heartedly. Whatcha gonna do and no sympathy were both really good. All the reggae albums on this list have been solid.

Some decent reggae. I'd listen again if it was on.

This was pleasant to listen to. Personally I'd give it a 3.5. Nothing in particular stood out to me on this listen when everything was said and done.

Not my stuff but not bad.

A very solid album, albeit nothing groundbreaking. The most remarkable thing about it was learning about Peter Tosh's tragic death.

After my first listen I was wondering why we would need this in the wake of previous Bob albums. The title track being banned catapulting this album to infamy, and a prescience to buying pre-rolls in corner stores like cigarettes marks this. It's fine, just what a shadow or cloud to live under that you were once a part of.

Ah, the finer supply, as it were. Everyone needs some sunshine.

Reggae isn't really my jam but yeah this wasn't terrible

I dont know a lot of reggae so i don’t know what to base my rating off of but I like it enough so I’ll give it a 4.

My favorite thing about people that get high is that they cant shut the fuck up about getting high. I have no idea why anyone would think this is essential listening unless they are just super pumped about weed or they REALLY love reggae. I fit into neither category. The truly wild part about all of the above is this is no where near the bottom of the barrel on this journey. 2 stars

Really enjoyable classic reggae

Heb ik dat, heb ik een LP van Peter Tosh liggen, staat er in de top-1001 een andere. Niet dat het veel uitmaakt wellicht, want met alle respect, deze plaat klinkt hetzelfde als alle andere reggae uit dit tijdvak. Lijkt mij. Het luistert derhalve lekker weg, maar de hoge toppen die collega Bob Marley worden niet bereikt. Op mijn LP staat tenminste nog de collab met Mick Jagger, dat was toch net iets interessanter. Maar ja!

Peter Tosh kennen we voornamelijk van de Wailers samen met Bob Marley, of soms misschien nog meer van het duet samen met Mick Jagger (Don't Look Back). Maar ook zijn 'hitje' Legalize It is bij mij bekend. We krijgen natuurlijk precies wat we verwachten, namelijk hele relaxte reggae muziek, en dan in dit geval met semi-activistische teksten. Want het lijkt mij dat hij de legalisering van wiet toch voornamelijk voor persoonlijke doeleinden bezong. Het beklijft allemaal minder dan de hitgevoeligere evergreens van zijn voormalige makker Bob Marley, maar het is toch wel weer een keer vermakelijk zo tussendoor. Ik zit ergens op een 3+, maar het is niet genoeg om naar boven te gaan qua cijfer.

Nothing very exciting. Just okay.

I mean its reggae... its all the same to me really

I had a Bob Marley & The Wailers album somewhat recently, and though I tire of constant repetitive reggae beats, I liked how that album mixed in rock n roll and other influences. Being this is a Wailers side project, I was pleased to hear much of the same elements in this album. The songs are catchy (and the reggae elements aren't overpowering) and I liked the guitars that were used. "Till Your Well Runs Dry" was quite good, especially in the non-reggae verses.

Relaxt album. Niet helemaal mijn stijl maar zeker goed!

I'm sure that if I was better versed in reggae and its intricacies, I would get a lot more out of this album. This is a decidedly relaxed, mid-tempo stroll through the marijuana fields Tosh is sat in front of on the album cover. The first half is the better one as I find the album gets especially sleepy after "No Sympathy." Peter Tosh was apparently one of Bob Marley's Wailers before striking out on his own and debuting with this album. I'll give him credit where it's due: the title track is still a pro-legalization anthem over a half-century. Not too many songs can claim to be socially or politically relevant in equal measure as they were when they first came out. As a whole, this record also does a pretty good job of staying true to the roots of reggae (what little I know of them, anyway) and the production hasn't aged as much as you'd expect (unsurprising considering it already sounds sun-baked and out of its own time from the get-go.) Overall, a perfectly serviceable reggae release that might be clouded by how homogenized and commercial the genre got in the years since its release. Key Tracks: Legalize It, No Sympathy, Why Must I Cry, Ketchy Shuby

I've been discovering that reggae is pretty fun for working with deep focus. "Brand New Second Head" was my favorite.

Still not a fan of reggae. This was fine, I guess. It was short. I've heard of the song Legalize It, but I'm not sure if I had ever heard it before.

Most reggae sounds the same to me. I can listen to it, but wouldn't play it on purpose.

“Till Your Well Runs Dry” is the real standout song, and it happens to be the only non-reggae song on the album.

I enjoy reggae but it does tend to sound the same. This is enjoyable as weed albums go.

This is the debut solo album from the reggae musician, released in 1976 following his departure from The Wailers. The title track has become a well-known anthem for the legalization of cannabis. It has proven to be a classic and truly excellent album within this genre. "No Sympathy" features fantastic guitar work that evokes a blues style; Donald Kinsey’s deep, emotive blues solos lend a unique atmosphere to an already somber track—I think it’s a magnificent song! I’ve owned this record for a long time; side two opens with "Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)," a hypnotic, prayer-like track about God—a deeply spiritual hymn, accompanied by the sound of wind that seems to carry you away. The bluesy guitar returns on "Till Your Well Runs Dry." The lyrics are based on the proverb, "You never miss the water till the well runs dry"—a brilliant metaphor for the tendency to take things in life for granted, only reflecting on their value once they are lost. The final track, "Brand New Second Hand," carries profound meaning; in fact, every song on this album is deeply personal. Peter Tosh wrote it for Rita Marley after she left him for Bob Marley—ironic, given that it was Tosh who had originally brought Bob Marley into The Wailers. Rita, however, recognized Bob’s talent and left Peter to be with him. In short, even those who don’t typically care for this style of music might find their ears opened by a track or two. For everyone else—those with open ears and hearts—this album is a godsend, a true masterpiece.

The best part of every song was the first 5 seconds when the bongos and drums flare and snare us into the song. Otherwise, I can't disentangle this album from the other reggae albums we've listened to

Surprisingly fun reggae that is unfortunately bookended by some songs with unfortunately stale messages within reggae (another song about legalizing weed and a song that is misogynistic slut-shaming, how creative?!). 2.5 stars rounding up.

I don't always reggae, but when I do, it's with Peter Tosh. 6/10

In Jamaica about a year and a half ago my wife and I took a walking tour in the Treasure Beach area and, at one point, we ended up in marijuana fields. Our tour guide told us that we weren't supposed to be there, it was secret, and the guys working the fields may have guns. The album cover of "Legalize It," with Tosh in the ganja field smoking a doobie brought me back there. Love the title song and especially "Ketchy Shuby." This is a great, laid-back reggae album that's not quite on par with Marley but really good in its own right.

I call this work of art "Jamaican flag according to Peter Tosh" 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲 👁 👁 💨💨💨💨💨 👃 💨💨💨💨💨 🚬 👄 💨💨💨💨💨 💨💨💨💨💨 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲 my favorite song here is Brand New Second Hand

<<insert rude pun about it being "Tosh" here>> It's fine isn't it. At the right place and right time, this would absolutely hit the spot. A Wednesday morning in SW London with the rain sheeting down is not it.

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

Probably transformative in its day. Derivative now.

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

Walmart Bob Marley

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

I don´t like raggea and it was still better than the ramones album

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.

(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.

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

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 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.