Amazon.com
To many people,
Bob Marley simply
was the Wailers. But founding member
Peter Tosh proved time and time again that even without his legendary reggae band he still would have carved out an extraordinary solo career. It wasn't just his razor-sharp songwriting ability or a voice that could slide from a coo to a growl in the space of a few syllables. Tosh had the depth to deliver the spiritual standard "Go Tell It on the Mountain," Curtis Mayfield's creamy pop marvel "Keep on Movin'," and the fiery black consciousness anthem "Arise Black Man" without ever suggesting a false emotional note no matter what persona he adopted. While this best-of collection may omit a few of Tosh's best-known hits, alternate versions of Wailers' classics "400 Years" and "Stop This Train" earn it must-have status. And concealed inside "Rudies Medley" is a tough, rock-steady version of his signature song, "I Am the Toughest," along with Desmond Dekker's "007 (Shanty Town)," which in pure Tosh fashion turns pop culture into a wicked counterpoint to the realities of ghetto life. The cream of the reggae producers is on board this collection via material from Leslie Kong, Joe Gibbs, and Lee Perry, the man who helped shape the planet-shaking Wailers' sound.
--Bob Tarte
