Connected

Reckon I could have waited until I died to hear this one tbh

I imagined a backstory that this album was created for babies. Specifically for babies on their morning commute to finance jobs in London, wearing navy blue baby business suits, and all listening to Connected on big (for babies) over ear headphones. With that clearly established, this album is perfect. It's stone cold 5/5 star British business baby breakbeat. Minus 1 star for adult content. A

A good album... but I am struggling with why it's in the 1001.

It’s like a mix of moby and smash mouth except not a good combination. They have that 90s feel to it but it’s in no way a rap album. Nothing special here. 5.1/10

I remember the opening track "connected." Very of it's time. Some of the lyrics really grate on me. Not really offensive or anything but I wouldn't want to listen this again for any length of time.

Cool album!!! I enjoy it a lot :) :) :) 1992 was an inspiring year :P

Someone called this "dated". It's not. It's got all the features that were eventually taken over the top and turned into cliches in the 90's. But Stereo MC's have kept their cool and the result survives time better and sounds very effortless.

This album is straight good vibes. The Bari sax on Connected is great. Also, funk flute? That's a definite yes for me. The album was great to run to and for some reason it reminds me of summer. It does kind of feel like workout music but in the best way possible. It's just a really fun album and while I suppose there's nothing incredible about it and most of the songs are quite repetitive, I still really like it. Favorite songs: Connected, Ground Level, Step It Up, , Pressure, Creation, The End Strong 8/10

How is this album on this list?

SEE???? Electronic music CAN be good! All it has to do is not be the same looping beat for 12 minutes to be good.

Never heard of them before and had negative preconceptions based on the band name but there's no two ways about it: I loved it. I'm not sure why I loved, since it's very rare that I enjoy electronic music and even rarer that I enjoy rap/hiphop. Somehow this album hits my sweet spots for both genres. I found myself dancing along on my chair from the first track. Will definitely spend the rest of the afternoon listening to more by Stereo MCs.

I really should have owned this cassette, damn

I liked this album - it felt old-school.

Ah, I was worried I was in for another techno garbage album. I know the first song, and it's a relief that they clearly have the skills of those bands like Boards of Canada, but know how to make a song too. Connected is a great song. Good beat, strong production. Love it. I'm pleased the album doesn't fall off after that stellar first track. Ground Level has the feel of 70s funk/soul mixed with this new techno jazz sound. That being said, the lyrics of these songs so far have not been my focus. I like the vibe, and have no clue really what, if any, message there is to these songs. I do sense an anti-war sentiment at the start of Everything, but then when the rap starts, it makes no sense. Overall, this was a surprisingly fun and enjoyable album.

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I didn't like the first song, but I liked all of the rest of the songs and I can see myself listening to most of them again. 4/5 stars.

Overlong, but good, even if it does now sound a little dated. A bit of judicious pruning would have made for a tighter, more exciting album.

Voor mij zijn dit one-hit-wonders uit een telecomreclame. Na wat me de afgelopen dagen is aangedaan is dit prima om te luisteren, maar voor mij hoort niet niet thuis in dit soort lijsten. Erg 90's, huismerk Moby gecombineerd met The Streets. Het voelt wat kaal aan en dan heb ik het niet over Moby.

Staid and respectable. Lyrics a bit think piecey and therefore a bit irritating. Vocals nasal. Contemporary comparisons are Sault and Self Esteem--artists who send middlebrow critics into headstands because they act edgy while successfully courting a suburban listenership who can no longer hang with raucous irreverence. Get past the initial novelty and it smells suspiciously like zombie funk.

Connected actually sounds good, with is no small thing for a dance record. That's thanks to liberal use of horns, flutes, electronic piano, in addition to scratching and basic hip hop drum beats, and no horrid synths. In addition, the elements really are tastefully layered, and the textures are varied throughout the album. The vocals are pretty white bread and the raps are bland, but who knows, many that helped Connected cross over to a more general audience--it's not a deal-breaker for me. There really isn't all that much more to this music, but it's enough really. After all, nobody is actually going to listen to this, they're going to dance to it, right? Right? This stuff has a danceable beat, and sonically speaking, it doesn't make you want to hurl. What more do you want? I dunno. How about an album that doesn't bore you to tears?

Ohhh haven't heard Connected in ages. Totally holds up. Every track is a banger that takes you to the club or just bopping around the kitchen. I miss the 90's.

Not usually my kinda thing but this was great. Loved it.

I didn't realise I had heard so many Stereo MC's tracks. It is a greatest hits!

Pretty good, rap like J5

10/10. W O W!!!!! I really didn't expect this album to be THIS good!!!!! :) Hip hop music isn't my cup of tea. However, something about this album in particular just hit me in all the right spots, and scratched all of the right itches in my brain. It's nothing short of absolutely enjoyable. The instrumentation is dope, and so were the vocals. The album did not get dull over time. While I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Rage Against the Machine's self-titled album, it's pretty freaking close to being as enjoyable as that album. I certainly plan on re-listening to this album in the near future. :)

This is a quintessential 90's album. It's great to re-listen and revisit an old memory, full of jenko jeans, motorcycle boots, frosted tips and colored contacts.

I knew 1-2 songs from this album, but it was great to dig into the whole thing. “Don’t let up” was playing as I was on a tough hiking trail, the perfect motivation music.

I absolutely loved this one. Made me nostalgic for a time I didn't really get to experience because I was so young.

Any album that lends a track the soundtrack of the 1995 Angelina Jolie & Johnny Lee Miller fillum "Hackers" has to be a great album. HACK THE PLANET!

Loved it! Best surprise album I’ve gotten by far.

Saw these this month, they were great live! Fantastic album.

buen flow

Fun album! Great to discover it :-)

One of my favorites so far

funky electrónico y fuera de mi estándar pero está genial

Just love the beat. Was something new when it came out and still pops up on the radio.

5 Erstes mal von der Band was gehört, aber irgendwie komplett Gefühl. Geile Mischung.

Awesome! Never heard of it. Like the 80s hiphop crossed with electronic vibes! Personal top3 in no order: Connected Everything Sketch

"Am I on an episode of Fresh Prince?" "Am I walking down a California boardwalk with a boombox on my shoulder?" "Bro can I borrow this tape to listen to on my Walkman?" Phrases that might have been uttered while listening to this album. Does it get any more '90s?!

if i were asked to describe what the 90's sounded like, this would be it.

Epic album! I am so glad for this site, for 1001. One of the Best things I have discovered in my life. Thank you <3

I've always liked the title track to this album, although I was never really aware of Stereo MC's as a band. It was good to hear the rest of the album, and the early 90s cool funkiness really grew on me as it went along.

What a nice album. This shake my chicken:)

Loved this. Dancey fun!

Acid jazz. Me ha gustado bastante. Vinilo, incluso.

Acid jazz. Me ha gustado bastante. Vinilo, incluso.

FUCK YES!!! Lesgo 90s

Sorry bruv, but I can’t stand listening to Brits rap. I was out after 4 or 5 tracks.

I really like this music, it’s clean and funky. I might buy this vinyl. It’s smooth and transitions well, has good quality music, great instrumentals, and overall great presentation.

Had never heard this other than the title track. Absolute gold. I enjoyed every single track on here. What a fun early 90s vibe

This is the first album that I haven’t heard that blew me away. Loved it.

What an outstanding slice of 90s dance music this is. Listening to it is like time travel to a more carefree time.

Loved the album. Certainly a work of its time. "Connected" is an absolute classic.

Really liked this and will definitely listen again.

Great memories from Summer 94 when we played this CD over and over sitting in the sunshine in County Kerry. Shame they didn't do more. I remember it was so refreshing to have good dancy music after all the SAW purportedly dance shite of the late 80s. Enjoyed immensely

Love this group!

Great!

Felt like a breath of fresh air on the first (partial) listen and overall really nice beats and sound.

This was surprisingly really good

Überrascht, zwar knapp vier Sterne, aber hat Spaß gemacht

Groovy

Incredibly enjoyable throwback for my Saturday. Nothing life changing. The aspects I enjoyed about this would go on to get refined with trip hop, but this serves as a fun intermediate album between two eras. A solid 3.5/5 for me, but its lightness makes it hard for me to go above that. I’ve got a lot of respect for Stereo MCs and their reinvestment of a surprise massive hit back into the electronic scenes.

I didn’t think I knew Stereo MC’s *Connected* album until I pressed play, and it hit me like a wave of nostalgia. Released in 1992 during my senior year of high school, this album instantly brought me back to the dances we had on weekends after football games—the excitement, the energy, and the unmistakable vibe of the early '90s. The title track, “Connected,” with its infectious groove and soulful message, remains an anthem of its time. Its funky beats and catchy chorus were made for packed gym floors and dimly lit parties. Tracks like “Step It Up” and “Ground Level” carry the same electric energy, blending hip-hop, funk, and electronic elements in a way that felt ahead of its time yet unmistakably rooted in the culture of the '90s. What stands out the most is the album’s message. Beneath the slick beats and rhythms, there's a theme of human connection, self-discovery, and empowerment—a perfect soundtrack for young adults navigating life, as many of us were back then. Stereo MC’s *Connected* is more than just an album; it’s a time capsule. Listening to it now reminds me of simpler times when weekends were all about friends, fun, and those unforgettable moments on the dance floor. It’s a classic that still holds up, and I love rediscovering its magic. Highly recommended for anyone looking to reconnect with the spirit of the early '90s.

Not quite as good as hearing it for the first time in the early 90s, but this brought back some memories 👌🏼 Groundbreaking? Probably not. Solid? Definitely.

a bit of a nice coincidence i got my Japanese CD of Mind the Gap before getting assigned this to listen to. what you get from this is pretty much what you would expect of a release with these tags and released at this time -- something groovy and clubby, if a bit dated. it does slow down in the middle a bit with "Fade Away" and "Pressure", but the majority of Connected never leaves its (and my) comfort zone of transporting you to the Hacienda in 1992 while fucked up on E and swinging your arms around like a moron. it was supposed to be baggy summer at some point this decade. and then it wasn't. a shame.

So groooovy. Love it!

Rating: 7.5/10

You see, here I am full of contradictions. I really liked this.it was boppy, had great beat and rhythm. The lyrics are tuneful, and not offensive or inflammatory. Basically thers plenty to like and nothing to dislike. The only criticism I could possibly give is that it doesn't have that special something to make it a classic, and therefore a 5. So it'll be getting a very well deserved 4 from me.

I'd forgotten how good this album is. I'd also nearly forgotten seeing them live at Glastonbury 93. Probably too many mushrooms with my breakfast or something? When I played this again it brought some great memories back. All the singles are banging tunes and the whole thing has just a happy vibe going on. Nice to have a small slice of my youth brought back to me. I'll be playing this again very soon. 4 stars

Hoy martes tocan disco y artista desconocidos. Ya con su primer tema (que creo haberlo escuchado) me recuerdan a la movida trip-hop de los 90s pero un poco más arriba, más luminosa. Ideal para ir amenizando la previa de una fiesta. Una grata sorpresa en los últimos meses del 2024. Hasta el jueves.

The outro ride out grooves on every song is killer. Makes me excited for the next track every time. Some great gems on this album, including 'Connected', which was made famous by the 90s movie Hackers.

better than it has any right to be

Oli höveli olo. Yksi tähti nostalgialisää.

If your have asked me two years ago to rate the Stereo Macs, I probably would've said two stars; 700+ albums into this project I have developed a new appreciation of the subtleties of mediocrity. The rap is All Filler: No Killer on this album, but the tunes are catchy and they have bothered with interesting instrumentation (i.e. some bleeps and a saxophone). It's somewhere between 2 and 4 stars, and I've just had a nice breakfast, so... Next!

Kind of like if Stone Roses took meth and listened to heaps of reggae

better than I remember more one hit

Holy 90s Batman!

very fun

I really like this group. I think a lot of people think of them as one hit wonders or a flash in the pan, but I’ve always appreciate what they bring to the table. Kind of an uncool coolness that is both admirable and not worth riding for.

Great album, very good background noise.

I think I liked this more than it deserves. I was really vibing with it! The beats were cool and the vocals were decent. My only complaint is it's length. Some of the songs had about 3 minutes of looped beats with nothing else. Outside of that, I really enjoyed it.

Some classic 90s grooves

I'd completely forgotten about these guys. Found I had a few of their tracks saved on Spotify, and found some more to like on this album. It's just a bit short on ideas across its run time and track to make it a 5, but I'm amazed this as far back as '92!

Lil funky

one star off for the song that starts with a killer coming at me or whatever. the rest slaps

Рэп-электроника с приятным женским вокалом и пофигистской мужской читкой. На чилле, на расслабоне.

Surprisingly good. Good lyrics and catchy beats.

yksiselitteisesti päheätä musiikkia. ei voi nuoret, nuoret sukupolvet lätistää tätä alas... seisoo ajan testissä.. hyviä wiboja ei mitään muuta piru vie piru vieköön teidät nuoret... ette voi pahoin tästä sanoa, pirulainen teidät kaapatkoon.. go to the left... now go to the right... move it up and freak it all the way down... do the twist... now do the shake... roll it all around... and then make the bake... yeah yeah yeah... jaha ja yhtä tähteä herrasmiehet ojentamassa.. taitaa uusintakuuntelu olla luvassa nimittäin album fun as hell connected

surprisingly decent. maybe the first album on the list that I haven't listed to before but would absolutely listen to again.

Surprising slay

Its was really in, then really out and now its really in again

Slick 4.2

Very '90s and didn't age that well. But it slaps pretty hard nonetheless

Connected (the title song) is amazing. First heard it on the Hackers soundtrack and found this album from there.

Feels a bit like background music at times but is compelling enough to warrant a second listen.

Good

Electronic music typically don't resonate with me unless they have lyrics I can sing along to...so this album was a pleasant surprise for me. The song Everything to me was everything in this album, electronic, 90's hip hop vibes and 70's jazz vibes, the back up singers, and a fife!

I enjoy the Stereo MC’s very early 90’s British electronic/rap vibe. It seemed so cutting edge at the time. This actually sounds like the soundtrack to MTV interviewing twenty-something’s about their sex lives for one of those “hip” 90’s sex documentaries they were so keen on producing back then. I would put this on to chill to or clean the house, or to reminisce about an MTV approved life I didn’t have at that time.

The first song (Connected) is such a blast from the 90s past. A fun kickoff. This album has a pretty unique sound. Feels like it straddles a line between the 80s and 90s, with a fusion of pop, new wave, and hip hop. It’s fun and bouncy and a good time.

Class

See how you can have a mixed race band and not be woke?