The pair first appeared on Cavett's show on September 11, 1971; they were his only guests. Watching their appearance 34 years later, two things are immediately striking about it. First, the entire universe of the 1970s talk show is so far removed from today that it might as well have been produced by space aliens. In all three Cavett episodes included in this collection, the conversations with guests seem unscripted, segues into station breaks are often awkward, John and Yoko smoke onscreen, and, most importantly, Cavett and his guests discuss topics that would never be allowed on American television today. Second, Cavett and the Lennons are incredibly nervous although it was not, in fact, their first meeting. Cavett had visited the couple at the New York City hotel they called home at the time, and appeared in a film they were making that day. Still, the tension is palpable. We see Cavett struggling to find the right tone as he asks Lennon about banal topics like the length of his hair, his sense of Englishness, and television. There are awkward moments, but they are also uncomfortably real. It might seem surprising for someone of Lennon's stature and rapier wit to be so unsure of himself in an interview, but think of Lennon's position at the time. He was just a year out of the Beatles, trying to establish himself as a solo recording artist, and struggling to be taken seriously as an artist and activist. He was deeply in love with his wife, but many of his fans rejected <b>...</b>
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