Before officially breaking away from
the Wailers and beginning his solo career,
Peter Tosh recorded a number of singles under his own name with the legendary producer
Bunny Lee. Those recordings play a central part in this generous 25-track compilation, which also includes material from
Wailers sessions produced by
Lee "Scratch" Perry and
Leslie Kong, and some of
Tosh's solo work with
Joe Gibbs. Most of the best tracks here will be familiar to
Tosh and
Wailers fans -- "Maga Dog," "Brand New Second Hand," and "Them A Fe Get a Beating" have all appeared on numerous collections. But there are some very worthwhile obscurities on this program as well, including a gorgeous rock steady paean to
Haile Selassie entitled "Rightful Ruler" (on which
Tosh shares the mic with
U Roy),
Tosh's dour "Downpressor," and a charming cover version of
Jimmy Witherspoon's R&B hit "Ain't Nobody's Business." Curiosities include the four alternate versions of "Maga Dog" (some of them recorded by other artists) and a smattering of instrumentals featuring
Tosh on organ -- sometimes competently ("Ambitious Beggar," "Memphis") and sometimes not ("The Crimson Pirate," "Pepper Seed"). Recommended.
–
Rick Anderson, Rovi