The Candyskins
Space I'm In

Jason Landry, contributor

It's a throwback...

Right after I graduated high school in 1991, a friend of mine shared an alternative rock CD sampler that was released by Geffen Records. It was one of those compilations that radio stations use to get from record labels so they could start promoting bands or upcoming album releases. This compilation was called Earphoria and the first track on the CD was “Smells Like Teen Spirit” from a band called Nirvana who had just released their album Nevermind. As soon as the intro guitar riff rang out and the four-count snare drum beat erupted, the rest, as they say, was history. But the song that stuck out for me personally on Earphoria was track six, “For What It’s Worth” by The Candyskins.

 

“For What It’s Worth” was originally made famous in the late 1960’s by the band Buffalo Springfield who included such noted musicians as Neil Young and Stephen Stills. The Candyskins recorded a cover of that song that appeared on their 1991 debut album Space I’m In. For this British band, they were creating music that teetered on both the alternative rock and pop rock scene. They were one of the bands that made early BritPop so popular. Songs including “Submarine Song”, “Space I’m In” and “For What It’s Worth” found rotation on MTV (although I never saw their videos).

 

Their song “Third World Blues” reminded me a lot of the Canadian band Glass Tiger when they did the song “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” with Bryan Adams. Although "Third World Blues" has a slightly faster tempo, it has a similar feel, especially in the chorus. This album overall flows quite nicely and I’d be hard pressed to find any songs that I would skip. Space I'm In is one of these albums that I wish I could get reissued on vinyl, maybe a Record Store Day release? You never know.

 

Favorite Track: “So Easy”