"A priceless chronicle of last century's most pivotal era. Between 1969 and '72, Village Voice mainstay Howard Smith's WPLJ radio show was a voice from the front line through intimate encounters with rock stars, movie new-bloods, cultural figureheads and political prime movers. The 61 interviews gathered here sat in Smith's loft for decades until excavated and restored by Ezra Bookstein, who does an immaculate job presenting highlights. Many interviewees were at crucial times in their career and sound unusually relaxed in their interviewer's company." -- Record Collector magazine

Interview with Frank Zappa (pp 350-355) was recorded in June 6, 1971, in 1 Fifth Avenue, New York. Howard Smith came to the interview together with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who quietly listened the interview. Later that night Zappa and the Mothers had a show at the Fillmore East, where John Lennon and Yoko Ono participated. This show was later partly released on albums Some Time In New York City and Playground Psychotics.

See also Frank Zappa’s animated opinion-filled 1971 interview with legendary Village Voice “Scenes” columnist Howard Smith.