Further to the impressive “legacy” edition of Peter Tosh’s first solo album Legalize It Sony has issued a companion piece in his second longplayer Equal Rights. More politicized than its predecessor this 1977 release arguably reaches higher individual heights: like Stepping Razor, the song that bears Tosh’s famous nickname and the moving ode to autonomy I Am That I Am – as strong a feat of writing as the greatest works of Bob.
From the extra material we have (rescued by the collector Sam Dion) it would seem that where the songs for Legalize It were fairly set in stone by the sessions, Equal Rights was drawn from a far greater pool of new compositions and recuts of singles. Where the Legalize It deluxe came with a demo mix, an original Jamaican mix and some dubs and specials, Equal Rights gives us unreleased outtakes, extended versions and many tunes that didn’t make the final ensemble at all.
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