View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who does Marcus compare Phillips to in the beginning of "Harmonica Frank - 1951"?
(a) Harmonica Frank.
(b) Starbuck.
(c) Huck Finn.
(d) Elvis Presley.

2. What religious group does Marcus compare blues singers to in "Robert Johnson -1938"?
(a) Voodoo.
(b) Satanists.
(c) Catholics.
(d) Puritans.

3. The song "We Can Talk About It Now" creates what kind of image?
(a) Homecoming.
(b) A broken heart.
(c) The country at its worst.
(d) The country at its best.

4. What is ironic about rock 'n' roll and democracy?
(a) Each asks people to be something better than they are.
(b) They demand work and play.
(c) They are both individual and a community.
(d) Neither works in a specific way.

5. Four of the members from The Band are from where?
(a) North Carolina.
(b) Arkansas.
(c) Australia.
(d) Canada.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Marcus in "Robert Johnson -1938," what is the only way to quiet Johnson's song "Stones in My Passway"?

2. Whom does Marcus claim puts the pieces together to find meaning in the music?

3. According to Marcus in "Robert Johnson -1938," what is the American struggle?

4. Who interrupts the fight over the book in the Prologue?

5. What is the name of The Band's second album?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "The Band," what is significant about a group according to Marcus in "Crossing the Border"?

2. According to Marcus in "Robert Johnson -1938," how are Robert Johnson's songs relevant even today? What artist's keep his spirit and music alive?

3. According to Marcus in the introduction to "The Band," what message did The Band send to its audience?

4. According to Marcus in "The Band," how are Harmonica Frank and Robert Johnson relevant to The Band?

5. In "The Band," what happens when the Band plays in San Francisco after releasing their first two albums?

6. Compare and contrast Harmonica Frank and Robert Johnson in terms of style. Use details from both "Harmonica Frank - 1951" and "Robert Johnson -1938." How are the two styles similar? What about the lyrics are different?

7. According to the prologue, what is Greil Marcus' purpose in writing Mystery Train?

8. In "Robert Johnson -1938," what common theme does Robert Johnson's music have with music by Eric Clapton?

9. In the section entitled "The Weight" in "The Band," what does Dominique Robertson have to say about living in Woodstock? What does this say about community?

10. Describe Robert Johnson's musical career. How did his contemporaries feel about his abilities? Is his music still relevant?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,350 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample