Chair Beside a Window

Chair Beside a Window Jandek (1982). Corwood Industries release #0742.

Track Listing:

1. Down in a Mirror
2. European Jewel
3. Unconditional Authority
4. Poor Boy
5. You Think You Know How to Score
6. Nancy Sings
7. No Break
8. Mostly All From You
9. Blue Blister
10. The Times
11. Love, Love
12. The First End

Album Cover Description Extremely grainy "blown up" image. The figure depicted is almost certainly the same as from the other albums... but is about as dissimilar from the others as is possible (also noteworthy for similar reasons... Somebody in the Snow).

Subject appears sullen... quite simian... with protruding lower jaw.

Reviews The echo-drenched journey into Jandek’s world begins with “Down in a Mirror”, the artist delicately plucking his free-tuned guitar and tappin’ shoes on the floor ’neath him. And then electricity! Jandek’s first electric-guitar piece, “European Jewel,” comes screamin’ in like Elmore James having a seizure. Pounding drums and bass enter for a frenzied attack not too far from the same thing Sonic Youth was doing in NYC at the same time. Back to acoustic guitar for “Unconditional Authority,” a depressed semi-boogie, and near perfect blend of solo Syd Barrett and John Lee Hooker at his loneliest. “Poor Boy” comes mighty close to early blues in lyric and open-strum structure, with none of the self-conscious posturing of most white “bluesmen”. “You Think You Know How to Score” is harmonica-holder Dylan with the Holy Modal Rounders shootin’ speed in his butt: scary but hard not to watch and chuckle as head collides with concrete. “Nancy Sings” introduces the first of Jandek’s usually anonymous female vocal collaborators -- and it’s a fragile, beautiful thing. Back to electric for “No Break”, with nancy on vocals, and a drummer (Nancy?) rattling about. This fragmented non-song could be a mellow-mood Harry Pussy jam from a decade later... This ’un’s a classic Jandek album -- highly recommended. -- Scaruffi, Piero The History of Rock Music, Vol. 4

Outside Links

• Seth Tisue's Chair Beside a Window review (http://tisue.net/jandek/discog#0742)