5 O’Clock Shadow

THE QUIET CORNER~ Jersey Beat Magazine
by Robert Barry Francos
January 2008
One of Jersey Beat's most popular columns returns as Robert Barry Francos sifts through a year's worth of, well, quieter stuff - acoustic albums, singer/songwriters, folk and world music, along with a little rock n roll.
It’s bands like 5 O’CLOCK SHADOW who make me wonder if the Fillmore ever really did close. “Still in the Way” is solid Blues-based rock (aka “Classic Rock”), with a strong guitar, smoky vocals, and plenty of wail, both vocally and musically.
Taken from a lost tape from 1991, vox/guitarist Artie Tobia manages to bring back the past on multiple levels. Thing is, they make it sound like it’s the musical franca lingua of the day, as if it never went away (of course, with so many classic rock stations around, has it?). If there were a time warp, these guys would easily be sharing a stage with all those British and West Coast bands. Perhaps they’re a bit too mellow for the likes of Led Zeppelin, but Bill Graham would have loved them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With the recent release of this CD, Artie Tobia and 5 O'clock Shadow have managed to accomplish the impossible - they've proven that the best art survives the test of time. A new release that has held up well? How did that happen? The band originally recorded the material back in 1991 and it's still in groove (or is that now "in byte?") because it is a most varied collection of styles that will appeal to all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sweet Young Thing" initiates a series of deeply soulful but upbeat tunes about love that always feel relevant, especially with Artie Tobia's gifted voice, Rob Garcia's fluent percussion, Bob Petti's uber-bass, and Tim Fitzgerald's focused and creative lead guitar.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This cd invokes memories of growing up with parents who played our only true great rock masters. You know that feeling; it was back in the seventies. It happened when WNEW’s Vin Scelsa or Dennis Elsa played Jimmy Hendrix, The Doors, The Band, CCR, Bob Dylan, Stevie Ray Vaughan and even the fine funk of George Clinton and The Parliament. I found myself once again dancing and singing around the living room to blues-groovy rock beats that I haven’t heard duplicated with original songs until now. The only reason these guys aren’t famous yet is because they haven’t yet been in the right place at the right time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I went and heard them live this weekend. We were all impressed, I couldn't wait to hear the CD and I wasn't disappointed. These guys really hit it, everyone listening in my studio really enjoyed this CD from young a 17 yr old to those close to 60. This CD appeals to music lovers of all ages. I don't know what it is, but they have it, their sound gets you up an moving.