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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. What was a nickname given to Randy Newman by Lenny Waronker?
2. According to Marcus in "Sly Stone," what is the spirit behind Riot?
3. Why was Newman's choice of voice "dangerous"?
4. According to Marcus in "Elvis," why does Elvis NOT owe blacks anything?
5. What type of Staggerlee does Sly create in Riot?
Short Essay Questions
1. According to Marcus in "Elvis," what racial issues exist with Elvis' music?
2. According to Marcus in "Randy Newman" what is a shared culture? Why is the shared culture important?
3. Why was "Short People" so controversial? What did this mean for Newman?
4. 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?
5. Why did Marcus entitle a section "Mystery Train" in "Elvis"? Why is this also the title of the book?
6. What is the basic plot for the Myth of Staggerlee?
7. How does Marcus define pop culture optimism and pessimism in "Sly Stone"?
8. Compare and contrast Sly and Staggerlee as presented in "Sly Stone: The Myth of Staggerlee in the sections: Introduction and "Sly Stone." How are they similar? How are they different?
9. In "Elvis," Marcus compares Elvis Presley to Abraham Lincoln, why?
10. According to Marcus in "Elvis," in what ways can Elvis be considered a myth?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
The Fall of Man Motif is about a man (or woman, but typically a man) who has everything he needs, but is so trapped by his desires that it is his undoing. Finally the man loses his home and or his soul. Several of the figures described by Greil Marcus in Mystery Train match this description. In an essay discuss two to three figures, their rise, their desire, and their undoing. Why does Marcus choose to discuss figures who go through this process? Is redemption possible?
Essay Topic 2
Greil Marcus discusses The Band, Sly Stone, Randy Newman, and Elvis as the inheritors of Harmonica Frank's and Robert Johnson's music. In an essay identify how Harmonica Frank and Robert Johnson are ancestors.
Essay Topic 3
The archetypal theme, desire for freedom, is more than apparent in Harmonica Frank's style and life. Write an essay analyzing how this is an archetypal theme and how Harmonica Frank represents it in his music and life.
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This section contains 1,127 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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