Reviews

Blues Traveler- Straight on till Morning

****1/2 (out of 5)

by Beau Cribbs

To follow up a multi-platinum, Grammy winning album is not an easy task. But John Popper, Chan Kinchla, Bobby Sheehan, and Brendan Hill, better known as Blues Traveler, have done just that. In this, their sixth album, Straight on Till Morning, there is no one single way to describe it. From the hard rock guitar of ÒCarolina BluesÓ, to the Allman Brothers-esque ÒCanadian RoseÓ, to what harmonica-pounding frontman Popper calls Òthe best song I ever wroteÓ, the slow love ballad ÒYours,Ó the whole album is superb. Only true Travelers can appreciate this album. People who own the mega-successful Four and listen to it on a regular basis will truly understand the genius of this album.

The improvisational jam sessions (which they like to call solos) run on long and at a first listen, all sound the same. But as you keep on listening for the little things, you can enjoy the record which was released on July 1, 1997, and debuted #17 on the Billboard charts. The astounding musical ability of John Popper and his Hohner Special 20 harmonicas will make you weak to the knees.

OVERALL: Their best and most unique project yet. But with the long solos, itÕs not for rookies. If you donÕt own Four, but that a month before you buy Morning. I recommend both CDs without a doubt in my mind.

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The Mask of Zorro

*****

by Becca Barnett

Zorro is a excellent movie for anyone to see. It has love, romance, and a handsome hero. Zorro and a beautiful lady fall in love. Zorro has to save a village of doomed, enslaved miners. This is a romance and an action movie. ItÕs good to know there are a few heroes in the world.

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MioÕs Pizzeria

**** (out of 5)

by Michael Ellenbogan & Jarrod Feinstein

On September 20, Jarrod and I went to MioÕs. When we got there it was fairly crowded but there was no wait. The atmosphere was intended to make people feel like they were in Italy. The pictures on the wall, pots, pans, baskets, and a brick structure inside the restaurant which was supposed to look like an ancient temple in Italy, led us to believe that. The menu included soups and appetizers, salads, hoagies, calzone, pasta, and pizza. The tables were covered with a large white sheet of art paper, and there were also crayons and question cards on the tables. MioÕs Pizzeria is definitely casual dining.

For an appetizer Jarrod ordered the jalapeno poppers. They were very good, but he wouldnÕt recommend them to people who donÕt like spicy foods. I ordered the New England Clam Chowder, which was full of potato pieces and clams. It was delicious. For the main course, Jarrod ordered the small cheese pizza. Pizza is MioÕs specialty, and it is cooked in a wood-burning oven. Unlike other pizzas, this had blots of tomato sauce on top of the cheese. The blots were about two inches in diameter. The pizza was definitely up to par. I got the turkey hoagie with mozzarella cheese. The turkey, cheese, and bread tasted very fresh. The hoagie was served with potato chips, and I was definitely satisfied with my choice. We found the service to be good and quick, except it took our waitress about fifteen minutes to take our money. Most of the meals cost five to ten dollars.

Overall the food was very good. This restaurant would be a good place to go with friends or family. For a great inexpensive meal, MioÕs is the place for you.

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Television Premiers

by Leora Rothenberg

Ally McBeal

Time: 9:00, Monday nights

Station: Fox

Rating: ***1/2

Plot: Ally McBeal (Calista Flockhart), takes over a case, and falls in love with an 18 year old boy. After discovering they have had the exact same dream, they discover a connection and go out on a date. In the meantime, Richard Fish is busy showing a prospective lawyer around the firm. When John Cage is drawn to the new lawyer, she ends up getting the job.

Party of Five

Time: 9:00, Wednesday nights

Station: Fox

Rating: ****

Plot: Claudia Salinger (Lacey Chabert) goes away to a boarding school and tries to make friends with the other girls. Bailey (Scott Wolf) and Sarah (Jennifer Love Hewitt) get a new apartment together, while Bailey also finds a gray hair, gets paranoid about his age, and tries acting like a teenager again when his 20th birthday arrives. Charlie acts overprotective of his pregnant girlfriend. Julia (Neve Campbell) and Griffin (Jeremy London) separate before Julia returns to college to get an education and then she meets Josh, a funny, smart person, but she doesnÕt know how to deal with it.

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King of the Hill

Time: 8:00, Tuesday nights

Station: Fox

Rating: ***

Plot: After an explosion at Mega Lo Mart, Buckley died after starting the fire. LuAnne loses her hair and self esteem in the explosion, so she drops out of Beauty School to take pictures of starving children in Ireland. Hank Hill is afraid of propane and refuses his old job, while Bobby overhears HankÕs friends talking about death, and which one of them gets to keep Bobby and Peggy when he dies. Bobby runs away after hearing this.

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