Mystic Man

by Peter Tosh

Overview

Having flirted with commercial acceptance on Bush Doctor, the former Wailers guitarist reasserted his cranky contrarian militancy on this album -- which is why he never reached the mega-stardom of his countryman Bob Marley. Unlike his old Wailers bandmate, Tosh had little interest in leavening his music's fiercely political bent, which effectively cemented his acquired-taste status (at least to American audiences). "Rumors of War" and "Fight On" explicitly address black majority rule in South Africa, a subject that few '70s artists even touched. Similarly, "Recruiting Soldiers" vows to physically round up enough fighters for the inevitable resistance, while "Jah She No" casts the poor's struggle to survive in stark, elemental terms ("Must righteous live in pain/And always look to shame?"). "Mystic Man" is a proud declaration of Tosh's lifestyle, which he pointedly contrasts against Western consumerist decadence (among other things, swearing off frankfurters, hamburgers, and any notions of drinking "pink, yellow, blue, green soda"). "Buk-in-hamm Palace is the biggest departure, building its outlaw theme of smoking marijuana in the Queen of England's home over a bubbling disco rhythm. It's easily the most accessible moment here, driven by Tosh's crack backup band of the time, Word, Sound & Power. There's no doubting Tosh's sincerity, though it sometimes founders in cliches and clunky lyric writing (like "Crystal Ball"'s coupling of "city" and "sh*tty"). From a strict songwriting viewpoint, Mystic Man isn't as distinctive as its predecessors, but a representative snapshot of Tosh's provocative artistry. "The Day the Dollar Die" is a roots classic, in which Tosh pleads his case for capitalism's demise over a shimmering pop-reggae groove -- proof he could craft compelling tunes to match his message. ~ Ralph Heibutzki

Product Details

Release Date:	12/06/2024
Label:	Rhino / Parlophone
UPC:	5021732442567

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Peter Tosh   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards
Robbie Shakespeare   Guest Artist,Bass,Guitar
Sly Dunbar   Guest Artist,Drums,Percussion
George Young   Guest Artist,Wind
Howard Johnson   Guest Artist,Saxophone
Gwen Guthrie   Guest Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Robert Lyn   Piano,Keyboards,Organ
Brenda White   Vocals (Background)
Mike Lawrence   Trumpet
Uziah "Sticky" Thompson   Percussion
Noel "Scully" Simms   Drums
Yvonne Lewis   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Lou Marini   Wind,Flute,Sax (Tenor)
Sammy Figueroa   Congas,Conductor
Mikey Chung   Guitar,Keyboards
Brenda White-King   Vocals
Ed Walsh   Synthesizer
Ed Elizalde   Guitar
Keith Sterling   Piano
Barry Rogers   Trombone
The Tamlins   Vocals,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Michel Sauvage   Assistant Engineer
Word Sound & Power   Arranger,Producer
Annie Leibovitz   Photography
Nick Webb   Engineer,Digital Remastering
Peter Tosh   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Nigel Reeve   Engineer,Digital Remastering
Clive "Azul" Hunt   Horn Arrangements
Geoffrey Chung   Mixing,Engineer
Dennis King   Mastering