DORY PREVIN: "Mythical Kings And Iguanas"

Original released on LP United Artists UAG 29186

(US 1971, March 1)

A year on from the debut, Previn's cupboard was still bursting with demons. This time out, though, she put her childhood anxieties on hold and dealt with more immediate concerns - the quest for spiritual fulfillment and the simple need to find a healthy, loving relationship - in a series of mostly dark, experimental folk ballads. The record bore a more muted sound than its predecessor, but lyrically it was as incisive as ever. With beguiling candor, Previn neatly pinned down the inevitable inequalities of an affair with a younger man ("Whatever you give me/I'll take as it comes/Discarding self-pity/I'll manage with crumbs") on "Lemon Haired Ladies." "Angels and Devils the Following Day" remains a great modern-day fable about psychological abuse versus physical abuse - wisely concluding that a few punches are nothing compared to chronic mental torture. "Mythical Kings and Iguanas" also contained "Lady with the Braid," the closest Previn came to an adult radio hit. (Charles Donovan in AllMusic)