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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. Bangs discusses Lou Reed's new album called "Metal Machine Music", which is all ______ music.

2. Bangs suggests that he likes the album Metal Box because it expresses the _____ that Bangs feels.

3. In an excerpt from his review of Peter Guralinick's book, Bangs focused on Sam Phillips, the owner of _______.

4. 1976 saw the advent of _____ rock and people starting buying albums again.

5. Bangs describes an incident in ______ during a Stooges concert where Iggy Pop was beaten up by a biker.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Bangs argue about the music that Lou Reed makes when it is good?

2. What does Bangs believe about the music of Bob Seger when he reviews his album?

3. What is the opinion Bangs has of Reed when the interview is over versus when they first started?

4. Why does Bangs think it is pointless to get bogged down in who created a musical style?

5. What does Bangs tell readers to read when they decide they want to read something?

6. What does Bangs say about Elvis' place in the music history at the end of his piece about him?

7. Why does Bangs consider Lou Reed to be a hero of his, according to his writings?

8. What does Bangs note about any band which is now considered to be great in the eyes of the culture?

9. Why does Bangs believe Richard Hell's style of punk rock is necessary in the world?

10. What does Bangs say about his times with Laughner when he decides to write about him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The drugs that are found a lot in the music world are also found in Bangs, though he criticizes his friend for succumbing to that lifestyle.

Part 1: Why do you think drugs are often a part of the music world?

Part 2: How do you think a person could avoid the drug scene in the music world?

Part 3: How do you think you might react to a person that succumbs to drugs because they want to be a part of a certain lifestyle?

Essay Topic 2

Bangs seems to be irreverent in much of his writing, deciding to use different voices for different topics.

Part 1: Why do you think Bangs uses different voices in different columns?

Part 2: Do you think it's better to have a consistent voice or to have different voices?

Part 3: How do you think you would speak if you were writing a music column versus a traditional column?

Essay Topic 3

Joe Strummer says that he actually wants to know when he's not being as good in concerts.

Part 1: Do you think most performers want to hear whether they are good in a performance?

Part 2: How do you think a performer from today's music scene might react if someone told them they were off one night?

Part 3: Do you appreciate honesty over being told you are good, even when you're not?

(see the answer keys)

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