Townes Van Zandt’s “At My Window” to be reissued for 35th anniversary

The 35^th anniversary limited-edition pressing of ’At My Window’ will be released next month. It finds folk/country singer/songwriter and guitarist Townes Van Zandt at the peak of his songwriting powers. Newly remastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, pressed on sky blue vinyl, and limited to 6,000 copies, ‘At My Window (35^th Anniversary Edition)’ is being released by Craft Recordings exclusively for Record Store Day’s 2022 Black Friday event (November 25^th).

Van Zandt (1944–1997) battled demons throughout his life, but by the mid-’80s, the reclusive artist was finally enjoying a stable family life with his wife and young son. In March 1987, nine years after the release of his previous album, ‘Flyin Shoes’, Van Zandt was ready to return to the studio. The artist spared no detail, pairing up with an all-star line-up of talent, including producers Jack Clement and Jim Rooney and a host of Nashville’s best musicians. Among them were Mark O’Connor (fiddle, mandolin), Joey Miskulin (accordion), and Willie Nelson’s harmonica player Mickey Raphael. Together, they recorded ‘At My Window’ ─ a reflective and intimate collection of songs about love and heartbreak, including the frequently covered ‘Snowin’ on Raton’, the melancholic ‘Buckskin Stallion Blues’, the groovy ‘Ain’t Leavin’ Your Love’, and the poignant title track.

Marking Van Zandt’s first album on Sugar Hill Records and the only one he recorded in the ‘80s, ‘At My Window’ was welcomed warmly by fans and music critics alike upon its release. The New York Times proclaimed, “Nobody writes songs about love affairs gone wrong with as much tenderness and insight,” calling his work, “the direct, untrammeled expression of a man’s soul.”. The album cover features a domesticated-looking Van Zandt posing in Jack Clement’s kitchen, hearkening back to the cover of his self-titled album in 1969. ‘At My Window’ was released with a sticker containing an infamous quote from Steve Earle: “Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that.” Van Zandt responded with the famous quip, “I’ve met Bob Dylan’s bodyguards, and if Steve Earle thinks he can stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table, he’s sadly mistaken.”

Tracklist: 

Side A

1. Snowin’ On Raton
2. Blue Wind Blew
3. At My Window
4. For The Sake Of The Song
5. Ain’t Leavin’ Your Love

Side B

1. Buckskin Stallion Blues
2. Little Soundance # 2
3. Still Lookin’ For You
4. Gone, Gone Blues
5. The Catfish Song