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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What single did Sly release that was the "most optimistic of all"?
(a) "Riot."
(b) "Dance to the Music."
(c) "Stand!"
(d) "Everybody is a Star."

2. What literary figure does Marcus allude to in "Sly Stone" when identifying how Sly speaks in the music?
(a) Frodo.
(b) Golem.
(c) Starbuck.
(d) Ahab.

3. What car did Elvis both buy and sing about?
(a) A white limousine.
(b) A blue truck.
(c) A red Ferrari.
(d) A pink Cadillac.

4. According to Marcus in "Randy Newman," why does Newman lack a large audience for most of his early carrier?
(a) He lacks talent.
(b) Critics hated him.
(c) He does not try.
(d) Critics loved him.

5. According to Marcus, who is the focus in the song "Sail Away"?
(a) The confidence man.
(b) The listener.
(c) The Africans.
(d) The slaves.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Marcus in "Sly Stone," what is pop culture by definition?

2. According to Marcus in "Randy Newman," what is the number one democratic desire?

3. What type of audience does Marcus believe Randy Newman attracts?

4. What two lines from an Elvis song does Marcus claim are the most perfect lines in blues?

5. Where does the line "They're animals anyway . . . let them lose their souls" come from?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to Marcus in "Randy Newman" what is a shared culture? Why is the shared culture important?

2. 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)?

3. Why was "Short People" so controversial? What did this mean for Newman?

4. According to Marcus in "Elvis," what are Elvis Presley's roots?

5. In "Randy Newman," does Randy Newman care if he is popular or not?

6. According to Marcus in "Randy Newman," what is important about the Beach Boys? (101)

7. According to Marcus in "Sly Stone," why did Sly Stone create the album Riot ?

8. 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?

9. According to Marcus in "Elvis," what racial issues exist with Elvis' music?

10. Describe Randy Newman's style; what does he sound like? What influences are in the music?

(see the answer keys)

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