Tosh, Peter
No Nuclear War
Rare & Collectible Vinyl Records

1987 US original Allied pressing with original poly inner sleeve. Glossy VG++/NM- copy; few surface blemishes/marks not affecting play. "It's one of the great ironies that Peter Tosh was murdered just days after the release of No Nuclear War, for this was a poor epitaph to an otherwise shining career. It was a tough time for a reggae artist, even a legendary one like Tosh. Previously, the former Wailer had tapped into a variety of styles, creating a unique sound that was built on a Jamaican foundation, but looked equally to the West for inspiration. But at this time, Jamaica was in the grips of ragga, and digitized dancehall ruled the island, while the West was in a rut, caught between the clutches of glam metal and the tail end of synth-dance. So, what was a respected roots practitioner to do? Tosh struggles with the question, but never quite finds an answer. His solution was to try to create a majestic sound, which sadly just ends up sounding ponderous and portentous, with the title track and "Lessons in My Life" particularly suffering this fate. A few of the songs are given a dancehall sheen, but for that to have worked, the rhythms have to be strong, and none of them really are. Not surprisingly then, the most successful song on the set is "Vampire," a fairly straightforward rootsy song. What adds to the irony is that lyrically the album is extremely strong, and powerfully delivered. In the hands of an outside arranger and producer, this might have been an album worthy of Tosh's name, but left to his own devices, it was a disappointment, made worse by the shock of his death." Equal Rights was to be the album that propelled Peter Tosh to the top of the reggae world -- the rival to onetime fellow Wailer Bob Marley. Time has shown that this lofty aspiration was not borne out, but Equal Rights remains among the handful of best, and most influential, reggae albums ever recorded. Tosh was always the most militant of the original Wailers and this album reflects that outlook. Whether it is preaching about the unity of the African diaspora ("African"), protesting conditions in South Africa ("Apartheid"), or giving a more general call to arms ("Get Up, Stand Up"), Equal Rights is a political album. This is at times crippling, as some tracks are more effective as political statements than they are as songs. This, in fact, is a primary difference between Tosh and Marley -- Marley's political statements never overwhelmed his songs. Unfortunately, this is not always the case with Tosh. That being said, "Downpresser Man" (based on a folk standard), "Stepping Razor," and his definitive version of "Get Up, Stand Up" are as good a trio of songs as you will find on any album, reggae or not. Tosh's singing is angry and forceful and the music is intricate and distinctive. On these three tracks you can see why people thought that Tosh could become a transcendent international star. The rest of the album, however, shows why he never quite lived up to that potential. All Music Guide – Jo-Anne Greene