Contains Columbia label recordings from 1964-73 and a 8-page booklet.
Personnel: Marty Robbins (vocals).
Bear Family's A Musical Journey to the Carribean & Mexico contains all of Marty Robbins' calypso, Jamaican, and Latin experiments, from "Calypso Vacation" and "Calypso Girl" to "Bahama Mama," "Tahitain Boy," "La Borrachita" and "Adios Marquita Linda." Robbins did have a flair for this material -- indeed, the very best songs here are quite enjoyable -- but he often is saddled with mediocre material. Furthermore, Bear Family's quest for completeness means there are three versions of "Girl from Spanish Two" and two versions of "Kingston Girl" on the single disc, which helps make the disc rather tedious listening for anyone but dedicated fans. Nevertheless, those dedicated fans will be delighted with the collection, since this music has rarely been in print since its original release. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
