Mitchell Torok - Mexican Joe in the Caribbean (CD)

All Music Guide

Mitchell Torok had a number one country hit in 1953 with "Caribbean," but a four-disc box set of his recordings from the late '40s through the early '60s comes as a bit of a surprise, especially when there is no available single-disc anthology. Despite his relative obscurity, Torok was a versatile performer and a talented songwriter who recorded in a variety of styles including country, pop, and rockabilly, which makes an extended set such as this more listenable over the course of 111 tracks. Torok was practically the king of the ethnic novelty, recording dozens of songs about the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, China -- even Hungary, from where his parents hailed. Although the prospective audience for this expensive set is small, the few who make the financial leap will find much to enjoy.

- Greg Adams, All Music Guide