The Best of Peter Tosh (1978-1987)

With his dark shades, towering stature, and deadly serious demeanor, Peter Tosh brought an edge of raw physicality and streetwise charisma to The Wailers that helped make them one of the greatest reggae outfits of all time. Tosh’s solo work was occasionally uneven, but even at his weakest moments he remained a captivating performer and an unimpeachably honest songwriter. The commemorative six-disc box set 1978—1987 is a near-definitive account of the later portion of Tosh’s solo career, from signing with Rolling Stone Records in 1978 and continuing to his death in 1987. The first four discs of this set collect the entirety of his studio output during this period, including the albums Bush Doctor, Mystic Man, Mama Africa, Wanted Dread & Alive, and No Nuclear War, all familiar to Tosh enthusiasts. The real attractions on this box set appear on discs five and six, which include a wealth of rare disco mixes and a previously unreleased live set from 1983. The disco mixes feature stripped-down, finely tuned productions that frequently improve on the glossier productions of Tosh’s full-lengths.