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Erudite and witty, ABC’s Dick Cavett offered viewers a late-night alternative to his fellow Nebraskan, NBC’s Johnny Carson, with a 90-minute chat-fest that aired from 1969 to 1975 in various permutations. As was the custom of the day, conversations were more free-ranging and less pitch-oriented, and guests would hang around, rather than exiting to make room for the next one. The mix of guests included more authors, politicians, and musicians than one would expect to see today, The Charlie Rose Show aside, and this often made for unpredictable television. This is in full view on Rock Icons, the first in a series of themed Cavett compilations, featuring some amazing performances from some of the biggest pop acts of the day. Of the full episodes offered here, the most notable is the show Cavett taped just hours after Woodstock with the Jefferson Airplane, Joni Mitchell, Steven Stills, and David Crosby as his guests. Although he was only a few years older than most of the rockers at the time, Cavett seemed far less at ease with the long-haired free spirits than he would around Gore Vidal and Truman Capote. The performances -- especially Mitchell’s -- are phenomenal, and the interview segments, where Cavett tries to show he's "with it," are hilariously awkward, especially his patter with the nonplussed Grace Slick. Other highlights include a not-all-there Sly Stone flirting with Debbie Reynolds; two shows from 1970 featuring Janis Joplin, who shares the couch with Raquel Welch and Gloria Swanson; a themed show with George Harrison, Ravi Shankar, and Gary Wright; and a full 1975 episode with David Bowie. There are also visits with Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, and the Rolling Stones (leave it to Cavett to ask Mick Jagger about his pre-rock life as an economics student). The candor of the conversations is surprising, especially by today’s standards, in which the hosts and celebrities hit marks determined in pre-interviews. Whether you were there and loved it, or just feel curious about a celebrity in that bygone era, The Dick Cavett Show - Rock Icons is a fascinating document. Bill Pearis

Product Details

• UPC: 826663303094
• Source: SHOUT FACTORY THEATR
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1)
• Time: 9:00:00
• Sales Rank: 4,101

This set contains DVDs which may be available separately:

• Dick Cavett Show [TV Series]

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