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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. How many people came to see Elvis open a shopping center after he produced only one record?
2. Who wrote "We needed . . . to be violently stirred into life . . . intolerable social constraints grew daily upon us"?
3. What was Elvis called in the beginning of his career?
4. What is the mood in the Riot album?
5. Who does Marcus quote to introduce the chapter "Randy Newman"?
Short Essay Questions
1. Why does Marcus compare the Fresh album by Sly to "Nietzsche's belief that he who gazes into the abyss will find the abyss looking back; that he who looks too long at monsters may well become one" (90)?
2. Why was "Short People" so controversial? What did this mean for Newman?
3. What is the epitaph written by John Hurt? Why does Marcus include the Stag-o-lee epitaph at the end of "Sly Stone: The Myth of Staggerlee"?
4. According to Marcus in the section "Sly Versus Superfly," why does Riot matter?
5. What type of risk does Randy Newman make in his music? What risk does he avoid?
6. How does Marcus define pop culture optimism and pessimism in "Sly Stone"?
7. Why did Marcus entitle a section "Mystery Train" in "Elvis"? Why is this also the title of the book?
8. Describe Randy Newman's style; what does he sound like? What influences are in the music?
9. In the section "Sly vs. Superfly," what problems emerge from the black movies being made in the early seventies? How is real life different from the movies?
10. In "Elvis," Marcus compares Elvis Presley to Abraham Lincoln, why?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
The Band used a lot of symbolism in their songs. Focusing on one or two of the songs discussed in Mystery Train, write an essay examining the symbols used in the song. How does this use of symbolism affect the song? How does it affect your understanding of that song?
Essay Topic 2
Both Harmonica Frank and Robert Johnson have some claim as the originator of rock 'n' roll. In an essay, compare and contrast the two men including their styles, their audiences, and their legacies. At the end of your essay, identify if Harmonica Frank, Robert Johnson, or both are the true originator of rock 'n' roll. Use details from Mystery Train to support your conclusions.
Essay Topic 3
The Great Divide is a strong image used by the band and one that merited discussion by Greil Marcus in "The Band." In an essay examine why the Band would be drawn to this image. How is it metaphoric? What does it mean? How is it American?
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This section contains 1,233 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) |
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