Praise for 'Long Gone Lonesome Blues' : Praise for 'You and My Old Guitar' : Praise for Thomas Fraser
"The music is gritty, down-home country blues. It's actually the real thing" - Martin Newell, Record Collector Magazine
"Thomas Fraser was a sponge soaking up yodels and blues and tears from radio music, broadcast in the 1940s and '50s; he returns them to us with his own special touch and feel. The result is eerie and very, very real. He takes us to the American south and the mid-west; you almost believe that he lived the lives he sings about". - Jan Bossing
"Exceptional talent springs out of the most unlikely places" - Paul E. Comeau, 'No Depression'
"On the face of it the album 'Long Gone Lonesome Blues' seems utterly unlikely. A fisherman-crofter in the Shetland Islands acquires a taste for American music, buys records, guitars and a tape recorder and makes some of the greatest recordings of American music that you will hear." - John Conquest, DJ & editor of 3rd Coast Music magazine, Texas, USA
"This CD gives me the same feeling as the most early recordings of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings. The pure feeling of pleasure and love for the material and a true collectors item. Real pureness to the last track" - Hans Akke, CD baby customer review
"There is a tremendous sense of playfulness and sheer enjoyment in many of the tracks -- a rare thing in recordings, especially 'field' recordings such as these" - John Lilly, US Country Music Artist
"There was a heartfelt and playful quality to the man's art and the fact that Fraser sang for the sheer joy of it, untainted by any sense of self-promotion, gives the performances a warm, endearing quality" - Paul E. Comeau, 'No Depression'
" Long Gone Lonesome Blues is a real diamond in our 'phonoteke'. An interesting story about the man who use to sing because of his feelings, not for money" - Dragan Stajic, Radio Fedra, Serbia & Montenegro
"Long Gone Lonesome Blues' is one of my favourite albums" - Mike Harding, BBC Radio 2
"The Music is pure country blues with a strong Jimmie Rodgers influence, a dab of both Hanks - Snow & Williams, and something - an indefinable flavour of it's own" - Martin Newell, Record Collector Magazine
"When you hear the final track 'Over the Rainbow', it makes you want to cry" - Joe McAuslan, CD Baby customer
"Countless singers have tried to emulate the Jimmie Rodgers style but very few have managed to sound as authentic as Thomas Fraser" - Paul E. Comeau, 'No Depression'
"Made for Fraser's own satisfaction, and to his own exacting standards, this is music in it's purest form, utterly untainted, not simply by commerce but even showmanship" - John Conquest, DJ & editor of 3 rd Coast Music magazine, Texas, USA
"The quality of the music is really stunning. Thomas has been a true discovery for me and it's incredible to learn that in the far Shetlands it could exist such a great talent and the musical world didn't know anything about him. Thomas was the real heir of Jimmie Rodgers but a lot more than just a copy - he had such a terrific passion and competence to become an artist on his own!"- Massimo Ferro, RADIO VOCE SPAZIO, Italy
"Thomas Fraser is the second incarnation of Jimmie Rodgers. This CD is immense" - The Medicine Show
"Whether Fraser sang country, blues, old jazz, or pop songs, he was never less than totally convincing" - Paul E. Comeau, 'No Depression'
"I have just added 'Long Gone Lonesome Blues' to my collection and what a marvellous collection it is. Today's country music is not to my taste but fortunately, now and then, a gem turns up and this is certainly one of these!" - Squadron Leader R T D Smith
"His guitar playing swings just like it should and the sound of the big Levin is just right. But his voice is really outstanding. A couple of tracks might even have an expert wondering if they were Jimmie Rodgers outtakes; but he's not a mimic. He performs the songs with immense energy and sounds like he's living every word - Maggie Holland, Folk Roots Magazine, June 2003
"Those who genuinely appreciate authentic, traditional country music should be eternally grateful for this truly wonderful collection" - Country Music People Magazine
"I have been a record collector for many years and I never thought that I would hear music this good, so close to home" - Peter Jones
"Unique archived recordings of a Shetland country, folk and blues artist full of passion and brilliance" - BBC online Folk & Acoustic Reviews
"There's a beautiful & informative booklet that tells the remarkable story with the help of lots of family photographs. It's truly a labour of love" - Folk Roots Magazine
"I really love it when something comes from way out of left field - something really interesting and quirky. I think the CD is great and I love to imagine the man there in his croft house in Shetland singing the railroad blues into an old Grundig tape recorder for the sheer love and dedication to his music" - Mike Harding, BBC Radio 2
"His untimely death at the age of fifty in 1978 cut short an astonishing guitar and vocal talent all the more fascinating for being nurtured in relative isolation. From the opening chords of Brakeman's Blues you know this is something special - an authentic take from the original country and blues artists, informed by the inherent musicality of a Shetlander who also played fiddle, mandolin and banjo. His voice is strong and fresh and he yodels with the best. All twenty five tracks ring with passion and brilliance and it's lovely to think of this quiet Shetland man melding the story-songs of America with his own musical upbringing to create something unique. The full story's brought to life in the CD booklet, making the package a really satisfying project" - Mel McClellan, BBC Folk & Acoustic Reviews
"What a fascinating collection of recordings - close your eyes and you are listening to Thomas's mix of blues & country sung with his unique, clear voice experiencing all the hurt, fun & sentiment of these early songs. Hank William's 'Long Gone Lonesome Blues is so authentic you can feel the hurt. This CD is an important piece of music history. Not only is it a terrific collection of early country songs but to discover that this wonderful talent was hidden away, only known to his local Shetlanders, greatly adds to its importance" - Brigitte Strachan, Country Music & Dance Magazine
"Thomas Fraser appears to take on the guise of the very artist he is covering. For instance when he sings Jimmie Rodgers ("Lullaby Yodel", "Peach Pickin' Time In Georgia", "My Little Old Home Down In New Orleans" and others) he is very much Rodgers' equal. When he sings the Delmore Brothers "The Mississippi Shore" he is on a par with Alton Delmore and when he yodels he is Cliff Carlisle, Wilf Carter and Jimmie Rodgers on whatever the mood takes him. I cannot recommend this album highly enough and am firmly of the opinion that this is the most important work in the history of British country music" - Country Music Roundup Magazine, Jan 2003 issue
"Recently a friend of mine visited Shetland and came back with this CD by Thomas Fraser. I've borrowed it from him, and it´s fantastic! What a voice, what a great guitar and what a great story behind it" - Petur Rouch, Radio Faroe, ' Roots n' Rhythm '
"A fantastic, very revealing piece of work. The recordings sound amazingly fresh and bright. It's like hearing Robert Johnson for the first time - history coming alive" - Tom Morton, BBC Radio Scotland
"I heard one track ('Brakeman's Blues') on Mike Harding's Radio 2 programme last night and being a Jimmie Rodgers fan, found it was the best cover I have ever heard. What a wonderful idea to share this raw music with the rest of the world and keep alive the memory of Thomas Fraser sitting in his cottage playing and singing, never realising that all these years later, people would be listening to him" - Keith Smith, customer
"It is a remarkable collection of songs and the recording quality is excellent. A terrific piece of history saved. Thomas's voice is so clear." - Iain Dobie, Country Music in Britain
"His voice is really clear and strong on all the recordings, as is his guitar playing. From all the performances it becomes clear why he gained such admiration from other players through out Shetland which lasts to this day" - Jimmy Carlyle, The Shetland Times Ltd
"They (the songs) sound very authentic, but then so does he. When I played 'To the East, to the West, one of our experts thought I had discovered a previously un-issued Jimmie Rodgers recording!" - Dave Penny, Mechanical Copyright Protection Society
"This really is as enchanting a story and musical project as it is possible to imagine; these recording have a warmth of experience that could not be reproduced, not with all the technology the 21st century could offer, this is a look at the pure heart of a man loving what he is doing and doing it for that love alone.
"What we have here is a unique experience, these are Thomas's own personal documents of the music he loved, and played for his own appreciation alone. Lost documents of one mans musical quest. An impressive mimic and musical clone yes, but what is really important here is that we have a chance to enjoy a master, devoid of any self promotion, or even the slightest performance issues, freed from any hint of ego corruption. That's what makes this a truly rare experience, these wonderful recording are a songster singing for the sheer joy of hearing his own voice and guitar recreating the music he loved, imbued with the atmosphere of his own life and times, pure reflections of in a older time half a world away."
"Since the release of the first volume 'Long Gone Lonesome Blues' Thomas has become a minor cult, and his charming and remarkably authentic music has enthralled all who have old timey ears to listen" - Robert Main Ellen - 'The Medicine Show'
"Long Gone Lonesome Blues was wonderful - the best Country music record ever to come out of the United Kingdom" - Georg Fuhrmann, Germany
"It isn't often that a CD is so 'right'" - Andrew Heaton
"The passion for the music on this recording is tangible....and the talent simply is amazing" - Laurie Jolie, www.takecountryback.com
"I believe these performances of 'Brakeman's Blues', 'Lullaby Yodel', 'Waltz of the Wind' and 'Singing in my last Roundup' had Thomas Fraser been around in the 30's, he would have given many of the early pioneers a run for their money - what a way to start a new year" - Pete Smith, 'Sounds Country'
"Some music can quite simply be termed unique, without any fear of retribution. This term can be safely applied to the home recordings of the late Thomas Fraser. What made him unique? Well not only his delivery but the way he fused blues and country music in his own special way" - Shetland Music.com
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"You don't have to swallow the anti-hype or submit to the blandishments of your sentimental old heart to hear what's good about this Shetland fisherman's home recordings of the classics of hillbilly America - I feel a cult coming on" - Nick Coleman, Independent on Sunday
"All tracks are superb - the talent of Thomas Fraser is very important to British Country music - 'You & My Old Guitar is a classic CD" - Sheila Manson
"Fraser's hillbilly guitar playing (and in fact his fiddling) are of the highest standards, his singing is astounding and highlighted by the best damn yodelling you will hear this side of The Pecos (or the other side come to that!!) - Robert Main-Ellen, 'The Medicine Show'
"Fraser could deliver a blues with gutsy attack, yodel the cows home, or sweetly croon a love song, all with guitar picking that's likewise flexible and evocative. From 25 great tracks, Away Out On The Mountain is a standout for the laughter you can hear in his voice and the burbly little yodel near the end - pure feelgood factor" - Mel Mclellan, BBC Folk & Acoustic
"The CD contains 9 Jimmie Rodgers songs and as a tribute to the father of country music they cannot be bettered - Fraser could reproduce Rodger's style almost to perfection" - Al Moir, Country Music People
'His singing is superb and his performances have utter authenticity. The lo-fi effect of the music somehow only adds to the atmospheric quality" - Maggie Holland, Folk Roots Magazine
"It's impossible to overstate the sense of authentic musicality in these recordings" - Mel Mclellan, BBC Folk & Acoustic
"Just one man and his guitar having a whoopiní good time wailing out the good old songs into his reel to reel tape recorder for no better reason than he loved the music and loved to play it! . After his death, aged 50, in 1978, the tapes of his stunning legacy lay undisturbed for years until his grandson found them and decided they should be heard. Damn right! These great CDs contain music filled with all the power and passion of the originals . A truly fabulous release that will leave traditional country music fans in ecstasy!" - Red Lick Records
"You can marshall all of the arguments as to why Thomas Fraser became the artist he did, and you can attempt to rationalise what made him avoid the trap of mere copyist that so many British country and blues singers have fallen into - his own traditional roots, the high standards of his audience, his unstinting hard work, his close knowledge, deep love and respect for the music - but in the end the truth is that it isn't something that admits of explanation. What accounts for the particular power of these recordings is something that he had that we can never rationalise. It seems likely that there were many people around the UK who came at these musical sources in the same way, but there is little evidence that many of them made music of the depth and passion, of the peculiar intensity, that Thomas Fraser did" - Ray Templeton, Musical Traditions
"Thomas Fraser could deliver a blues with gutsy attack, yodel the cows home, or sweetly croon a love song, all with guitar picking that's likewise flexible and evocative" - Mel McClellan - BBC Folk & Acoustic
"Thomas' yodeling is some of the clearest and strongest I have ever heard" - John Lilly, US Country Music Artist
"In a blindfold test, even the most devoted fan of old timey music might well be fooled into thinking that they're hearing a previously unknown recording from a field session in Memphis or Atlanta, circa 1935. But that in itself is no guarantee of anything. Thomas Fraser never sounds exactly like Rodgers or Williams, or whoever - he would be much less interesting if he did. He is special because of something that is quite separate from the reproduction of style - he sounds like the real thing, for the simple reason that he is" - Ray Templeton, Musical Traditions
"I've dealt with many people who have dedicated enormous amounts of time, energy & money to their love of American music, indeed quite a few who have dedicated their lives to it, however, I have recently discovered the Über fan, the perfect master before whom the rest of us can only kneel in homage. Thomas Fraser didn't just love the music, he absorbed it so completely that he could make it almost as well as the artists he admired and far better than most of their American disciples and imitators." - John Conquest, DJ & editor of 3 rd Coast Music magazine, Texas, USA
"When Thomas sings a Jimmie Rodgers song, you would think it is the man himself" - Sheila Manson, 'The Shetland Times'
"His blues song sounds uncannily like a Delta blues from the thirties, bizarrely authentic. On the other clip he gets into yodeling, thus straying from the path. There's something incredibly vibrant, ebullient, and beautiful about his music - there's a sense of sheer delight which is striking, and comes over powerfully... a kind of innocence and ecstasy...there is nothing contrived about this music: he's like Robert Johnston on happy pills!! - Ricky Rock, Sad Cafe Music Forum
His style, for the most part, is very close to Jimmie Rodgers and vocally, when he sings a Rodgers song, in phrasing and pitch, I have not heard anyone come closer to the 'Singing Brakeman'" - Al Moir, Country Music People Magazine
"I do regard him as the most important figure in British country music and certainly believe he and his music should receive the highest honours." - Pete Smith, Country Music Roundup magazine
"The name Thomas Fraser retains legendary status a unique singer, guitarist and fiddle player who drew his influences from the true, original country and blues styles" - David Gardner, Shetland Arts Trust
"His voice was colossal when it came to singing the blues" - country musician Robbie Cumming formerly of 'Yorkie'
"I met him first at the end of war, early 50s and we had a few tunes together. He was a very original singer with a good voice, clear... as good a singer as Jimmie Rodgers... but Tom had an individual style that only a very few have" - 'Peerie Willie' Johnson, renown Jazz guitarist
"A lot of people have tried to do Jimmie Rodgers but no one came as close as Thomas Fraser did" - friend Arthur Pottinger, recording artist & Orkney resident
"We own around 10,000 country records and the recordings made by Thomas Fraser are as good, if not better than the rest" - Dutch country artists AG & Kate