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Bob Collum & The Welfare Mothers – The Windmill, Brixton - 21st February 2004

Review by Pete Gow

The Windmill in Brixton is one of those ‘beautiful little finds’ of a venue. Hidden deep in a housing estate off of Brixton Hill it is not ordinarily the sort of area you would go off wandering in search of anything other than trouble. However, once inside, the set up is fantastic, with a great sound system & well organised candle- lit event providing a top nights entertainment for an alarmingly modest fee. Bob Collum is native to Tulsa, Oklahoma & with tonight’s close proximity to Tulse Hill could have considered this a local gig of sorts (if you close your eyes & imagine real hard… no harder than that). He recently relocated to London & assembled The Welfare Mothers as support for his up- coming album, much of which was presented here before us tonight.

The set opened though with more familiar material, ‘Across A Crowded Room’ and ‘Half of What You See’. These highlighted what it is about Collum’s writing that sets him apart. Observational commentaries on all things dear to Country music… drink, sex, marriage & divorce… (delete as applicable), but always delivered with a witty or irreverent take on the otherwise sombre subject matter. Country music does not always sit well with the un- initiated. It can, if done properly, leave you exiting the venue feeling a whole lot worse than you did when you walked in. Bob Collum bucks that trend with his up- beat style that is reflected in toe- tapping arrangements to make you feel good about even the bleakest of life’s trials & tribulations. The mid session was given over largely to the new album, the highlights being ‘Merry Go Round’ (not the Replacements song) and the wonderful ‘Murder in Arkansas’. The only concession to a cover version was a rip- snorting take on The Byrds ‘One Hundred Years From Now’, that is if you discount the Jimmie Rodgers influence in the title of ‘Prozac Yodel # 9’ Each song was carried by the tight rhythm section that is The Welfare Mothers. Solid & dependable with a parsimonious, less is more, feel they complement the energetic, almost frenetic front man perfectly…. As to whether these Welfare Mothers make better lovers, well it just wasn’t that sort of an evening.

The Tulsa to Tulse Hill Troubadour, backed by England's Welfare Mothers, serves up the very definition of Americana UK... Where previous Bob Collum releases, particularly 2000's 'Low Rent Romeo' lent quite heavily on what we here in the UK would term an overt country sound, his third record, 'The Boy Most Likely To…' have the bells & belles of Collum's natural and adopted homes ringing loud, proud & true.

In the studio he sequestered the services of producer, Pat Collier and his trusty road band, The Welfare Mothers; Dan Wilkinson on bass/ vocal assistance & Paul Quarry on drums - although, it has been said in whispers that on a bad night it can be the other way around! As with all the best rhythm sections, their skill lies in knowing when not to play as well as when to step out of the shadows & take a bow, as on a blistering take on Gram Parsons classic Byrds contribution, 'One Hundred Years'. As previously touched on, there is a distinct British inclination to these tracks. Openers 'Merry Go Round' & 'A Little Less Soul' hold an intoxicating Mersey Beat sound, which crosses the broad Atlantic on 'Less Than Predictable' to combine the British Invasion with a Tom Petty (circa 'Damn the Torpedoes') feel.

The key composition on this record is 'Victim that you Need'. It best encapsulates Collum's ethos on song writing within the pop/ rock genre; the discipline of disguise. Set to a swirling Hammond figure & rolling chord sequence, an unbelievably sad lyric… ' Gonna steal the air you breath & the shadows that you leave…. and if we don't agree, I'll be the victim that you need'… is dressed up like its something to be proud of. A tale of sad, pathetic loneliness, a man willing to sacrifice even his dignity & self respect to be loved. This subject matter has not been dealt with so well since Ryan Adams 'Come Pick Me Up' and to feel so good about someone's misery almost brings on toe- tapping shame & misery… a musical schadenfreude, if you will. For the recorded versions of these songs, Collum & his band have replaced some of the visceral edge of the live performances for a more textured, crisp production which I have to say was probably a shrewd move.

Aside from the obvious incentive of possible air- play, the limitations of a trio would have been all to apparent had they gone for the 'live in your head' feel, with no overdubs. 'The Boy Most Likely To…' rather than misstate the Collum live show, offers a counterpoint. A chance to really settle down with the songs & get to know them. This is turn will make the next time you see them all the more rewarding. Highlighting the up- lifting arrangements & lid lifting lyrics that have almost become his trademark. Also available 'More Tragic Songs of Life'(1997), 'Low Rent Romeo'(2000). www.bobcollumonline.com PG

An air of mystery is never a bad thing for a musician, leave 'em wondering say I. I'm sure that there are those out there who are very well acquainted with Bob Collum and, on the strength of The Boy Most Likely To..., they're the lucky ones. However for those, like me, who aren't, a few biographical details on the website wouldn't go amiss. It helps to fill in the blanks where you can.

I know that Collum is from Tulsa and now settled in Basildon, Essex, reputedly the weathervane of elections - win in Basildon and No 10 beckons. Collum may not go that far but I can't believe the Essex town has resisted the charms of either Bob Collum or the Welfare Mothers. I also know that this is his third release with the Welfare Mothers, following 1997's More Tragic Songs Of Life and 2000's Low Rent Romeo. But of life before Basildon? Little.

Most importantly though, even the most cursory of listens to this CD reveals the most vital detail of all, Collum and the Welfare Mothers make great music. It is a simple, direct and completely uncomplicated album. Both Merry Go Round and A Little Less Soul could have been lifted from a Squeeze or Dave Edmonds' catalogue. Full of jangling guitars they share with Squeeze and Edmonds a love of lyrics, touched by a melodic sense of fun. It's not pub rock/pop but it is about having a good time.

One of the great things about the music is that it never gets bogged down by the recording process, it all bounds along quite naturally. The Boy Most Likely To's greatest achievement is to confirm that pop music can have substance. It's not a hybrid or 'rock lite', it's unashamedly melodic pop and easy on the ear, however The Joke's On You for one has roots.

Collum has an engaging voice and even when it all gets a bit 'riffy' as it does on Victim That You Need and One Hundred Years it is still the voice of Collum that leads the way, the front man is back and he's in charge.

Sadly, The Boy Most Likely To is the kind of album you don't hear too much these days. Songs lovingly written, carefully crafted and played with sense of freedom.

Michael Mee