Dory Previn

All the news last week was about Whitney Houston's death but Dory Previn died on Valentine's day with an irony in keeping with her songs. She didn't hang herself from the second or third letter 'O' of the Hollywood sign as she once sang but died at home at 85.

It reinforced my belief that music was never better than in the years around 1970. Groups like Cream, Fleetwood Mac, the Doors, Led Zepelin, Santana and Pink Floyd provided the driving soundtrack for our lives but Sandy Denny, Joni Mitchell and Dory Previn provided the poetry and pathos.

Mythical Kings and Iguanas was one of those LPs that mesmerised you with lyrics that were poignant, reflective, disturbing but real. Unlike her male contemporary, Leonard Cohen, who culled sadness for mellow sentimental songs; Dory Previn harvested the sadness to confront the cruelness of life.

She was never perceived as a great musician but I found this version of The Lady with the Braid on YouTube and it shows that even live she was an accomplished artist or try the original version of A Stone for Bessie Smith for sorrow. Lemon Haired Ladies exudes the melancholy of competing for the affection of a man with younger women and was my most played track on the album Mythical Kings and Iguanas. Sing it again Dory it sounds like the pathos was real.