Wanted Dread & Alive
Wanted Dread & Alive is the fifth studio album by Jamaican reggae musician Peter Tosh, released in 1981 through Rolling Stones Records for the European market and EMI America for Jamaica and the United States.[1][2]
The album embodies Tosh's roots reggae style, characterized by politically charged lyrics confronting social injustices, Rastafarian spirituality, and resistance to oppressive systems, as exemplified in tracks such as "Coming in Hot" and "Rastafari Is."[3][4] Recorded at Dynamics Studios in Kingston, Jamaica, it features collaborations including Gwen Guthrie on "Nothing But Love" and highlights Tosh's fiery vocal delivery amid booming rhythms.[2][3]
As Tosh's final release with Rolling Stones Records before his murder in 1987, Wanted Dread & Alive underscores his legacy as a vocal advocate for marijuana legalization, equal rights, and anti-imperialist causes, cementing his role as a pioneering figure in reggae's protest tradition despite commercial challenges faced by his solo work post-The Wailers.[1][5] No major controversies directly attached to the album's production or content emerged, though Tosh's broader career drew opposition from authorities due to his unyielding critiques of "Babylon."[6]
Background and context
Album development
Following his departure from the Wailers in 1976, after the group's internal tensions peaked amid Bob Marley's rising global profile, Peter Tosh launched a prolific solo career beginning with Legalize It in December 1976, which centered on Rastafarian sacrament and social critique.[7] This was succeeded by Equal Rights in November 1977, reinforcing themes of racial equity and resistance; Bush Doctor in October 1978, produced with Mick Jagger's involvement to expand his reach; and Mystic Man in March 1979, maintaining Tosh's unyielding advocacy for spiritual and political autonomy.[7] These releases solidified Tosh's evolution as an independent voice, distinct from Marley's more conciliatory style, while leveraging his growing international exposure from tours and collaborations to amplify his uncompromising Rastafarian militancy.[8] Jamaica's intensifying political instability in the late 1970s, marked by escalating violence between the socialist-leaning People's National Party under Michael Manley and the conservative Jamaica Labour Party, alongside economic pressures and foreign interventions, profoundly impacted Tosh's worldview and output.[8] Tosh, who had long opposed the duopoly of "politricks" from both parties for perpetuating corruption and oppression, drew on this context—exemplified by events like the 1976 state of emergency and 1979 election clashes—to fuel material emphasizing self-reliance and anti-establishment defiance.[8] Concurrently, his persistent campaign for marijuana decriminalization, rooted in Rastafarian herbalist traditions and highlighted since Legalize It's title track, persisted as a core motivator, reflecting broader frustrations with colonial-era prohibitions amid Jamaica's ganja economy.[9] In conceptualizing Wanted Dread & Alive, Tosh prioritized enhanced global dissemination, negotiating dual-label distribution to navigate market-specific barriers: EMI America handled releases for Jamaica and the United States, while Rolling Stones Records managed Europe, yielding variant tracklists and pressings optimized for regional audiences and radio play.[1] This strategy stemmed from lessons of prior albums' uneven international penetration and Tosh's aim to sustain momentum from Mystic Man's Rolling Stones affiliation, ensuring his message of "wanted" rebels versus "alive" resistance reached diverse territories without diluting its potency.[10]Peter Tosh's career stage
Following the release of his third solo album Bush Doctor in November 1978 on Rolling Stones Records, produced in collaboration with Mick Jagger, Peter Tosh experienced a surge in international visibility as a solo artist.[11] The album's promotion included opening for the Rolling Stones on their 1978 U.S. tour, exposing Tosh's militant reggae to larger rock audiences and marking a departure from his Wailers-era constraints.[12] By 1980, Tosh headlined events like Reggae Sunsplash in Jamaica, solidifying his status amid reggae's growing global commercialization, though he voiced concerns over the genre's dilution into pop-friendly formats that prioritized market appeal over socio-political substance.[7][13] Tosh's career trajectory was shadowed by persistent personal risks stemming from his unyielding activism against systemic oppression, including ganja prohibition and police authority. In the mid-1960s, he faced imprisonment for marijuana possession, an experience that fueled his lifelong campaign for legalization as a sacrament rather than a criminal vice.[14] This pattern escalated in September 1978, when Tosh was arrested at Half Way Tree in Kingston for marijuana possession and subjected to severe police brutality, suffering beatings that required hospitalization and highlighting the Jamaican authorities' intolerance for his public defiance.[15][16] Such incidents reinforced Tosh's self-perception as a "wanted" figure—both artistically pursued and literally targeted—amid Jamaica's volatile political climate, where reggae's radical voices often clashed with state power. Into 1980-1981, these pressures intensified Tosh's resolve to reclaim reggae's raw, confrontational edge, countering industry tendencies toward softened, crossover sounds evident in his prior work. Prioritizing advocacy for Rastafarian principles and empirical critiques of corruption over concessions to commercial viability, Tosh emphasized uncompromised lyrical militancy, as reflected in his performances and statements decrying the co-optation of reggae's revolutionary core.[7] This stance, rooted in firsthand encounters with repression, positioned him as an outlier in an era when peers navigated fame through tempered messaging, underscoring the causal link between his existential threats and artistic imperatives.[13]Recording and production
Studio process
Recording sessions for Wanted Dread & Alive occurred primarily at Dynamics Studios in Kingston, Jamaica, with basic tracks captured using live band performances to achieve an authentic roots reggae foundation.[2][17] The core rhythm section featured drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare, whose interplay drove the album's dub-influenced grooves on tracks like "Coming in Hot" and "Reggaemylitis," prioritizing energetic, unpolished execution over studio perfection.[7] Peter Tosh, serving as sole producer, contributed percussion on selections such as "Rastafari Is" and directed the sessions to retain a gritty, militant edge reflective of his vision for uncompromised reggae authenticity.[7][18] Mixing took place at A & R Studios in New York, where additional layers including horn arrangements by Mikey Chung and backing vocals from the Tamlins were integrated to add density without diluting the raw rhythmic core.[17][7] This approach addressed logistical demands of dual regional releases—one for the US/Jamaica via EMI America and another for Europe via Rolling Stones Records—necessitating adaptations for broader appeal while preserving Tosh's emphasis on live-feel intensity over commercial polish.[1] The process highlighted Tosh's hands-on control, enabling rapid iteration amid the era's reggae production norms, though it constrained overly elaborate overdubs in favor of foundational band synergy.[7]Key collaborators
The rhythm section of Wanted Dread & Alive featured bassist Robbie Shakespeare and drummer Sly Dunbar, known collectively as Sly & Robbie, who delivered the album's propulsive "rockers" reggae foundation characterized by rapid, one-drop rhythms and heavy basslines integral to Peter Tosh's post-Wailers solo era.[1][19] The Tamlins provided backing vocals across multiple tracks, contributing layered harmonies that enhanced the vocal arrangements without overshadowing Tosh's lead.[1] Gwen Guthrie served as a guest vocalist on "Nothing But Love," a bonus track included in later remasters, where her soul-inflected delivery added contrasting timbral warmth to the reggae framework.[20] Production was co-handled by Geoffrey Chung and Peter Tosh, with recording conducted at Dynamic Sounds Studios in Kingston, Jamaica, emphasizing live-band fidelity through minimal overdubs and analog tape capture.[21][22]Musical style and themes
Genre characteristics
The album exemplifies roots reggae, a subgenre emphasizing spiritual and cultural authenticity through rhythmic foundations derived from Rastafarian traditions.[1] Its predominant rockers style features aggressive, uptempo grooves with accentuated basslines and syncopated skanking guitar patterns, departing from the slower, emphasis-on-the-third-beat one-drop rhythm prevalent in earlier reggae.[2] This approach drives tracks like "Coming in Hot," where the rhythm section delivers a propulsive, militant pulse suited to Tosh's solo evolution post-Wailers.[23] Certain selections incorporate funkier, groove-oriented variations, as in "Reggaemylitis," backed by bassist Robbie Shakespeare and drummer Sly Dunbar, whose interplay yields tighter, danceable syncopation blending reggae's offbeat accents with soul-inflected swing.[24] Traditional Nyabinghi percussion elements—repetitive, ritualistic hand drums evoking Rastafarian burru drumming—appear in "Rastafari Is," providing mantra-like textural depth amid modern keyboard touches like electric piano.[2] Overall production at Kingston's Dynamics Studios favors organic band interplay over synthetic dominance, incorporating subtle echo and reverb for spatial enhancement while preserving a raw, live-recorded immediacy characteristic of early 1980s roots recordings.[2] This balances fidelity to analog warmth against emerging digital trends, evident in the absence of heavy quantization or overdub layering in favor of collective improvisation.[23]Lyrical content
The lyrics of Wanted Dread & Alive emphasize resistance to "Babylon," a Rastafarian term denoting corrupt Western institutions, colonial legacies, and local enforcers of injustice, alongside advocacy for ganja decriminalization and socioeconomic equality, derived from Tosh's direct experiences of arrest and marginalization as a Rastafarian.[25][26] In the title track, Tosh depicts himself as a target of fabricated charges, singing "Babylon charge I for ganja, which I know couldn't do / How could one man gang Jah? Must be an ape from a zoo," underscoring perceived legal hypocrisy and spiritual vindication against systemic persecution.[27] "Coming in Hot" adopts confrontational imagery of armament and assault, with verses stating "I just clean up me nuzzle, I just load me barrel / And I cock me hammer / Coming to fight you down," functioning as both a metaphor for lyrical potency and an allusion to defensive militancy amid Jamaica's history of police raids on Rastafarians.[28][29] Such rhetoric draws from Tosh's lived oppression but parallels the era's political tribalism, where ganja cultivation financed armed gangs loyal to Jamaica Labour Party or People's National Party factions, exacerbating retaliatory killings and community entrenchment rather than dismantling root causes.[30][31] Contrasting the album's harder-edged calls for upheaval, "Nothing But Love" conveys spiritual and romantic universality, asserting "You bring the sunshine when it's dark / With nothing but love sweet love / And make me smile and say it's fine / When I haven't got a dime," prioritizing relational solace over confrontation without idealizing ascetic or escapist elements of Rastafarianism.[32] Tracks like "Rastafari Is" invoke biblical prophecies of redemption and anti-imperial reckoning, framing equality as divine imperative against exploitative hierarchies, while avoiding endorsement of self-harm through unchecked defiance.[25] Overall, the content prioritizes unyielding critique of power imbalances, tempered by Tosh's insistence on principled endurance over chaotic reprisal.Release and variants
Initial editions
Wanted Dread & Alive was first released in June 1981 as a vinyl LP album.[1] The primary edition for the United States and Jamaica appeared under EMI America with catalog number SO-17055, co-branded with Rolling Stones Records.[33] A Jamaican pressing emphasized local availability, pressed amid Tosh's history of lyrical confrontations with authorities that had prompted prior censorship attempts on his work.[34] European markets received distribution through Rolling Stones Records, with catalog numbers such as 1A 062-64378, featuring minor variations in track sequencing compared to the American release.[1] All initial editions were vinyl pressings, reflecting the dominant format for reggae albums at the time. The artwork, designed by Neville Garrick, depicted Tosh in a defiant pose styled as a Wild West wanted poster, symbolizing his self-portrayed outlaw status tied to real legal battles over marijuana possession and political activism.[1] This imagery underscored the album's themes of resistance, with the back cover incorporating mock police arrest records and fingerprints for added provocation.[35]Singles and promotion
The lead single from Wanted Dread & Alive was "Nothing But Love", a duet with American singer Gwen Guthrie, released in 1981 on Rolling Stones Records.[36] Promotional copies of the single were distributed to radio stations and DJs to target reggae and soul audiences, leveraging Guthrie's R&B background alongside Tosh's reggae roots. Other singles included pairings like "Nothing But Love" backed with "Cold Blood" in the UK and "Oh Bumbo Klaat" in the US.[37] [38] Tosh promoted the album through live performances, including at the 1981 Reggae Sunsplash festival in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where he incorporated material from Wanted Dread & Alive to emphasize themes of resistance against oppression and authority.[39] The album's release aligned with Tosh's "Wanted Dread & Alive" world tour, commencing in Europe on May 30, 1981, at the Sunshine Festival in Belgium, followed by dates in Denmark and additional shows across the US, such as in Berkeley, California.[40] [41] These efforts capitalized on the album's distribution via Rolling Stones Records, though Tosh's unyielding advocacy for social and political change constrained broader mainstream crossover.[1]Commercial performance
Sales and charts
Wanted Dread & Alive entered the US Billboard 200 at number 137 in July 1981 and peaked at number 91 the following month, spending several weeks on the chart before exiting in October.[42] It simultaneously reached number 40 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, underscoring its appeal within reggae and black music audiences amid the genre's constrained mainstream visibility during the era.[43] The album's performance contrasted with Bob Marley's Uprising, which debuted at number 44 on the Billboard 200 in June 1980 and achieved platinum certification, highlighting Tosh's narrower commercial breakthrough despite shared roots in The Wailers and similar militant Rastafarian themes that limited crossover potential relative to Marley's more accessible global branding. No verified sales figures for Wanted Dread & Alive have been publicly reported by labels or industry trackers, though its chart trajectory indicates sales in the tens of thousands domestically, typical for mid-tier reggae releases on major labels like Rolling Stones Records.[44]Market reception
In the United States, Wanted Dread & Alive achieved modest commercial footing, debuting at number 137 on the Billboard 200 on July 18, 1981, before peaking at number 91 the following month and charting for a total of 13 weeks. This performance highlighted niche resonance among urban reggae listeners drawn to its militant advocacy for social justice and marijuana decriminalization, though the album's explicit themes constrained wider retail appeal in conservative segments.[45] The release spurred heightened grassroots engagement, evidenced by Tosh's subsequent tour across the US and Europe starting in mid-1981, which drew dedicated crowds to venues and signaled enduring fan loyalty beyond album sales figures.[45] In Jamaica and Rastafarian enclaves, the record's unyielding spiritual and political authenticity fueled informal dissemination, aligning with reggae's tradition of community-driven circulation over formal metrics.[1]Critical reception
Contemporary critiques
The New York Times review from August 1981 characterized Wanted Dread & Alive as inconsistent in Tosh's solo output, deeming it a "mixed bag of political sloganeering and pop" in which Rastafarian themes occasionally devolved into "cant."[46] This assessment echoed era-specific reservations in mainstream outlets about reggae's blend of militant rhetoric and commercial accessibility, viewing the lyrical content as formulaic despite strong production. In genre-focused publications, reception leaned more favorably toward the album's rhythmic drive and ideological firmness. Rolling Stone ranked it second among the year's top reggae releases, behind Black Uhuru's Red, signaling approval for its adherence to roots reggae conventions amid Tosh's evolving sound.[47] Similarly, NME in July 1981 praised a track from the album, "Fools Die (For Want of Wisdom)," as a "beautiful" addition during coverage of Tosh's London performance, underscoring appreciation for its unyielding political edge in reggae press.[48] These contrasting views highlighted a divide: broader critics questioned the depth of Tosh's sloganeering, while reggae enthusiasts valued the record's refusal to dilute its confrontational ethos for wider appeal.Retrospective views
In retrospective assessments, AllMusic's review by Ralph Heibutzki characterizes Wanted Dread & Alive as a slickly produced effort that appeals primarily to dedicated fans, though it breaks little new ground in Tosh's catalog, with a mix of inspired cuts like "Nothing But Love" and "Rastafari Is" alongside weaker material such as "The Poor Man Feel It." The album's unevenness is attributed to its blend of militant roots reggae and lighter fare, exemplified by "Reggaemylitis," described as clunky yet enjoyable roots reggae akin to a response to disco tracks like "Boogie Fever."[2] Post-1980s analyses have increasingly viewed the album's lyrical content through the lens of Tosh's unyielding anti-authoritarian posture, with tracks like the title song portraying the Rastafarian revolutionary as perpetually targeted by state forces—echoing real-world tensions that culminated in his assassination on September 11, 1987, by gunmen at his Jamaican home.[49] This militancy, rooted in calls for self-reliance over institutional dependency, has been reevaluated as prescient amid later global debates on governance and personal freedom, though the record's commercial underperformance—peaking outside major charts—constrained its reach beyond reggae circles compared to Marley's more accessible work.[2] Scholars of reggae's political dimensions note that Wanted Dread & Alive, released amid post-Marley voids in the genre, exemplifies Tosh's role in sustaining radical narratives against systemic oppression, influencing subsequent artists while highlighting the trade-offs of ideological purity over market appeal.[50] Its inclusion in later compilations and reissues underscores enduring niche reverence, tempered by critiques of production polish occasionally diluting raw urgency.[2]Track listing and personnel
Original track listings
The original 1981 release of Wanted Dread & Alive on EMI America (catalog SO-17055) for Jamaica and the United States contained nine tracks across two sides, emphasizing Peter Tosh's roots reggae style with dub influences and social commentary.[51]| Side | Track | Title | Writer(s) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | "Coming in Hot" | P. Tosh | 3:40 |
| A | 2 | "Nothing But Love" | E. Mitchell, F. Harris | 3:58 |
| A | 3 | "Reggaemylitis" | P. Tosh | 6:35 |
| A | 4 | "Rok with Me" | J. Watt | 3:42 |
| A | 5 | "Oh Bumbo Klaat" | P. Tosh | 3:35 |
| B | 1 | "Peace Treaty" | P. Tosh | 4:57 |
| B | 2 | "The Poor Man Feel It" | P. Tosh | 4:12 |
| B | 3 | "Wanted Dread & Alive" | P. Tosh | 4:00 |
| B | 4 | "Guide Right" | P. Tosh, R. Shakespeare | 4:10 |
Credits and contributions
Peter Tosh performed lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, and percussion, while also serving as arranger and producer.[54]The rhythm section comprised Robbie Shakespeare on bass guitar and Sly Dunbar on drums.[1][54]
Backing vocals were contributed by The Tamlins.[1][54]
Additional instrumentation included keyboards by Keith Sterling and Robbie Lyn, flute by Pee Wee Walters, and horn arrangements by Clive Hunt.[54][33]
Guest vocalist Gwen Guthrie appeared on "Nothing But Love."[33]