Legalize It [Bonus Track]

1	Legalize It 4:35
2	Burial 3:54
3	What'cha Gonna Do? 2:25
4	No Sympathy 4:35
5	Why Must I Cry 3:08
6	Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised) 4:37
7	Ketchy Shuby previously unreleased 4:53
8	Till Your Well Runs Dry 6:09
9	Brand New Second Hand 4:03
10	Ketchy Shuby previously unreleased / Bonus Track / Instrumental 3:16

Barnes & Noble

Crouched in an enormous ganja field, pipe in hand, Peter Tosh regards us from behind dark glasses on the cover of his best-loved album, Legalize It. Tosh is the picture of sincerity -- did you doubt him when he asserted that "judges smoke it -- even the lawyer too"? Were you unconvinced by his claims about the therapeutic benefits of herb smoke? Twenty years before medicinal marijuana clubs began popping up on the evening news, Tosh asserted that the weed was "good for glaucoma," along with a long list of other ailments, including the mysterious "umara composus." Surely you didn't doubt his promise when he pledged: "Legalize it, yeah, yeah, and I will advertise it." But this album is not all about the izm: "Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)" is an achingly beautiful hymn written in English and the Ethiopian language of Amharic, while "Whatcha Gonna Do" showcases Tosh's dazzlingly nimble rhythm guitar skills. Listen carefully, After the album was recorded in 1976, Tosh's hands were permanently damaged in a beating by Jamaican police, who caught him smoking ganja. Rob Kenner

All Music Guide

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. [A 1999 Sony reissue featured refurbished cover art and a bonus track.] ~ Vik Iyengar, All Music Guide