Published on Oct 5, 1999
The more I listen to reggae artist Peter Tosh, the more I have
to question why he never achieved the superstardom that his former
bandmate Bob Marley did.
Tosh’s second solo album,
Equal Rights, is the disc that (at least so far in my
journeys) makes the strongest case for Tosh’s career. Solid from
start to finish, Tosh shows that he was just as good a songwriter
and performer as Marley, even if his material didn’t fit perfectly
in the “hit single” mold.
Tosh makes only one slip on this album – and that’s his cover of
The Wailers’ “Get Up, Stand Up”. He has every right to cover the
song; after all, he was a member of the band when this song was
written and first recorded. But this version seems to leave
something out, though I can’t put my finger on what’s missing from
it. Its more plodding pace also seems to take away some of the
song’s social urgency.
Fortunately, this is the only mistake that Tosh makes on this
entire album. From that point on,
Equal Rights challenges and entertains you at every turn.
“Downpressor Man” is a track that seems to be much shorter than the
six-plus minutes it’s clocked at; you’ll actually find yourself
wishing that this groove didn’t end. The title track and
“Apartheid” are powerful messages for social upheaval and doing
away with the old systems of oppressing blacks, no matter what
country you live in.
And while it’s not necessarily a “black-is-beautiful” anthem per
se, “African” is a track that Tosh uses to remind people that no
matter where you live or what your background is, if you’re black,
you still have firm roots in Africa, and you shouldn’t forget your
past. (I know, a strong interpretation of the track from a white
guy, but I think that Tosh was onto something.)
While many of these songs won’t be familiar unless you’ve really
followed Tosh’s work, there is something about listening to
Equal Rights for the first time that makes you feel like
you’re putting on a pair of old, comfortable slippers. Tosh’s style
flows so freely and his music is so accessible that it’s almost
like you’ve been listening to him all your life. And this is where
the paradox of his lack of stardom in the U.S. comes into play.
The recently-remastered disc includes a live version of “Pick
Myself Up” – and though the disc says the second bonus track is an
alternate version of “Wanted Dread And Alive,” I hear a live
version of “African” in its place. Not that I’m complaining; the
live version smokes.
Equal Rights is possibly the must-own album of Tosh’s
career, and deserves to be spoken about in the same breath as any
Bob Marley album.