Greil Marcus, an American author, music journalist and cultural critic, is notable for producing literary essays that place rock music in a much broader framework of culture and politics than is customary in pop music journalism. Marcus’ 1975 book Mystery Train re-defined the parameters of rock music criticism. The book is a complex analysis of the relation between rock ‘n’ roll music and America . Rather than providing a general overview of influential bands and artists, Marcus focuses on just five: virtually unknown early rock ‘n’ roller Harmonica Frank; the country blues singer Robert Johnson; and some of the better-known musicians who followed: The Band, Sly Stone, Randy Newman, and Elvis Presley. Marcus traces the history of each band and artist, peppering his prose with anecdotes and chunks of illustrative lyrics. Ultimately, however, his aim was to weave all the bits of information into a larger social context. His use of cultural references range from Coppola’s Godfather, to Walt Whitman, to Raymond Chandler, to President Lyndon B. Johnson, to Herman Melville, each serving to illustrate some facet of American (rock ‘n’ roll) culture.

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Online exchange with Greil Marcus