Stepping Razor: Red X

For many casual observers, reggae music begins and ends with Bob Marley, but before Bob Marley and the Wailers, there was simply the Wailers, a singing group consisting of Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. Stepping Razor: Red X examines Tosh's life and death (he was murdered by home intruders in 1987). Convinced that he had been marked for death by the authorities, Tosh kept an audiotape journal called the Red X file because a red “X” always seemed to accompany his name or picture on official documents. Why would the Jamaican government and/or the CIA want Tosh dead? Perhaps because of his unbridled activism and refusal to join Marley in advising Jamaicans to quietly submit to a “peace treaty” between the Jamaican Labor Party of Edward Seaga and the People's National Party of Michael Manley (both Tosh and Marley had previously suffered assaults that seemed politically motivated). All of this and more is covered here in this musical documentary backed with performances that include Tosh's appearance on Saturday Night Live with Mick Jagger. When it comes to Jamaican music, Tosh is as important as anyone, including Marley and Lee "Scratch" Perry, and this winning program offers both a biography of a powerful musical force and insights into Jamaican culture. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Tribby)