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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. Who said "if I couldn't perform I'd give up . . . It's not a question of the money side of it. . . not having that ninety minutes up there anymore. Phew. I don't like to think about it"?

2. What type of Staggerlee does Sly create in Riot?

3. Who wrote "Little Wing"?

4. What single did Sly release that was the "most optimistic of all"?

5. Who does Marcus quote to introduce the chapter "Randy Newman"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the basic plot for the Myth of Staggerlee?

2. In "Elvis," Marcus compares Elvis Presley to Abraham Lincoln, why?

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

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

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

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

7. 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?

8. What does Marcus mean when he wrote: "Instead of breaking the bartender's glass Stack found himself aiming at the mirror behind the bar, and thus discovered that the target was himself" (78)?

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

10. According to Marcus in "Sly Stone," how did Newton and Cleaver use the myth of Staggerlee?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing the images used in one or two of Robert Johnson's songs. What emotions do they convey? What meaning can be derived from his choice of words?

Essay Topic 2

Elvis is a man but he is also a symbol. In an essay discuss at least three concepts that Elvis came to symbolize. How does he symbolize these concepts? What did he do to reinforce these conceptions?

Essay Topic 3

Randy Newman's music dripped with satire that many people did not understand. In an essay, analyze two of the songs discussed in Mystery Train. How are they examples of satire? What is satirized? What message is Newman trying to get across?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,140 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample