Connected

Can something sound dated in a good way? This question comes to mind when bumping the grooves of Stereo MC's Connected. It is jazzy, throughly english hip hop record that is enjoyable if slightly one dimensional. Is it trip hop? is it "acid jazz"? I am not sure. The rhymes are not particularly affecting but the beats sound really good. 1992 is the year of The Chronic, The Predator, Don't Sweat the Technique, etc. so in that way, this sound already seems left in the dust but it has a great vibe.

Knew their one hit but not their other stuff. Not really crazy seeing as they are mostly a one hit wonder. It's all fine. Bit of the Madchester vibe here. Doesn't really do much to stand out from the crowd but they made a nice and cheery album with a cheery cover. Not all that memorable, but what really can be 900+ albums in. I do really really like Connected the song though.

Day 33 I'm sorry but I got tired too many times listening to this shit Fav track: Step It Up

Plastic soul > No soul

Strong nostalgia, came out the year I graduated from high school. Not overwhelming but I'm not sure I understand the hate here, I think it is reasonably nice to listen to.

Very simplistic music meant to be popular and fun. Like Disney.

I definitely like this album more than some of the other ones we have listened to in this era/genre. But I still don't know that it is for me.

fun 90s music, but not my fave

I guess you can say I was "Connected"

Pretty good.

Really nostalgic and fun but it wears off fast. I do appreciate their impact on modern pop music though, almost to a flaw because they became the de facto mall music

This was a mix of pop and dance music. It was designed to be catchy apparently, but though it had a good beat, the songs all blended together and were mostly the same to me.

I remember this album when I was high school. Connected was the single and video played by MTV. I listened today and I thought about what was happening in hip hop at the time when this album came out. New Jack Swing was fairly prominent and many artists were releasing dance tracks that were house influenced and new Jack swing sounding songs. Heavy D, The Jungle Brothers Redhead Kingpin and others. Hip hop had sped up the BPMs which brings me to this album. It was different but not necessarily original. Like I had pointed out others were putting out dance tracks before this album was released. Was it interesting beyond Connected I’m not so sure. It was not that good. It was just a bunch of mediocre electronic tracks with mediocre rhymes and nonsensical snippets that made up these songs. I guess I’m glad I heard but I didn’t need to hear it.

great enjoyable album. One I already own but had forgotten about. Really like the mix on here.

I feel like this would play in a 90s Starbucks where everyone is chic and drinks cappuccinos and smokes

What a fun 5 star listen for me today, really into this groove today and might revisit this.

I like the first song a lot, but the rest were pretty middle-grade for me.

No

This album was ok. Pretty of its time.

I was like oh christ a late 90s british bloke with MC in the name, but was pleasantly surprised by the quality and his sound. Ground level is dope

Сейчас бы закинуться под это кислотой в 1998 году где-нибудь на окраине Манчестера. А не вот это вот все.

Нейтрально

mercury prize это хорошо, но я дам только prize в 3 балла

Very 90s, very repetitive 3?

Not bad, just unremarkable. It seemed the most appropriate to listen in queue at the airport at 4am

I bought the title track on cassette single in the 1990s (complete sidebar, but how the hell did that format make a comeback?) but then it was used on an advert and was so overplayed, I got sick of it. It's been long enough now that it had gone back to being a banger, but after hearing so many variations on the theme on this album, I might be getting tired of it again.

i dont mind it

Its not horrible but I wouldn't add any so 1.5

kinda goood

I can think of a bunch of snarky music critic type stuff to say about this but you know what? I really liked it, darn it! That cover, though.

Super bland electronic hip hop that's fairly chill, but doesn't really feel important. Literally zero songs stood out above the others. Beats were fairly generic, and it seemed like the album couldn't decide if it wanted to be a dance record or a downtempo record, so it decided to be neither. Not a good listen. 2/5

This was a fun listen! Very groovy beats and really easy to listen. Nothing really stood out to me and it is really not my type of music, but nothing inherently bad about it.

30/08/2026 Such swagger 🥹

What kind of people were listening to this album in '92? What little instrumentation there is was very welcome. Chill, laid back and funky. Not bad at all.

An hour of the same song but I liked sketch the most as a variation. Paint drying the album.

2.0

I'd definitely listen to it again!

This is #day751 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… another never-before-heard name for me. Oddly enough, "Step It Up" rang a bell, though. As a person whose country has been under invasion by a terrorist state for almost five years now, I wasn't a fan of the air-raid siren sound on "Chicken Shake." Otherwise, this feels like a love child of Primal Scream, Happy Mondays, and early Massive Attack. Pretty chill listening for a Saturday evening like today. Last Saturday of summer '26. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day752.

Bland

Came into this one with the lowest expectations possible, given this goofy album cover and the low ceiling of an English hip hop group coming from the early 90’s. But this was so much fun! Not revolutionary by any means, but I can’t deny that there are some bops on here. A dated style but they pull it off.

"Connected and Step It Up + 10 fillers" is more appropriate.

I really do try not to completely trash ’90s electronica and hip hop every single time - though the artists from that era often make it really hard for you to do otherwise. It’s nice that this isn’t quite as extreme with the Stereo MC’s (yes, with that ridiculous apostrophe). Aside from the fact that they wrote actual songs, it’s partly because they hit a pretty good sweet spot between frantic beats (for which you’d actually need amphetamines) and completely psychedelic ambient electro (which, in turn, would be more suited to downers). Or, to put it more historically accurately: imitators who model themselves after this sound generally drift into realms that are barely tolerable without drugs. In that sense, it’s a nice experience to hear that the original was actually good in a broader sense! And all the more embarrassing, then, what others built on it later...

Disco divertido, mas nada além disso.

Definitely not for me. Dated and too long. Connected is an ok song though.

I miss the Carphone Warehouse.

Connected (the song) is an absolute classic and is still really cool to this day. The rest of this album is... there. Honestly, some of the songs felt like they were trying very hard to sound deep but mostly were just different variations of "be kind don't do war give love a chance" which is all fine and dandy but not really that deep. Otherwise, it's fine and not much else, but it certainly joins the list of "this absolutely didn't need to be in the book over something else."

I like the content of the lyrics. Very 90s vibes here.

Honestly I really liked this album. A mix between 70s funk and 90s hip hop?

Kinda fun beats. Highly repetitive though. Wish I was making soup right now.

Never heard of these peeps before. Groovy but repetitive. Catchy but not very beautiful. Hip-hoppy but kinda stupid. Punky but with no teeth. All to say: take it or leave it; probably leave it.

Day962 - i’ve always liked the song connected and the rest of the album is ok the songs are very different than the one hit

Not my style of music, and extremely boring. 2.5 stars

I thought this was fine. Not life changing by any means, but I didn't hate it. 3 stars.

What is this doing in the book?! I want not only a disconnection of this from the book but also an H bomb dropped on it. It’s so banal and uninspiring. It’s like Massive Attack if they were more hip-hoppy n acid jazzy and were complete bozos. Blue Lines? More like Poo Lines. Groove Is In The Heart? More like Groove Is In The Shart. Three Feet High And Rising? More like Three Galaxies Of Dried Dogshit And Drifting. The music is so overwhelmingly stale and the raps are completely toothless and lame. Whole album has the effect of paralysingly lame hold music. It’s criminal that Brand New Heavies around this time brought out classic albums such as Brother Sister which had monster tracks such as Dream On Dreamer and the hit cover of Midnight At The Oasis. Only they could bring out a song such as “The world keeps a spinnin’, the world a spinnin’ yeah! The world keeps a spinnin’, the world a spinnin’ yeah! The world keeps spinnin’ yeah! The world keeps a spinnin’, the world a spinnin’ yeah etc” and make it sound like a joyous, incredible, life-loving tour de force whereas Stereo MCs come out with stuff like “You’re playing with fire. You’re playing with fire. You’re playing with fire. You’re playing with fire. You’re playing with fire” and it sounds like absolute mind-numbing crap. What kind of name is Stereo MCs anyway? It’s like the most special thing about this group is that they’re MCs who are in stereo. Imagine if there was a band to come up later in the book called The Guitar Players or The Jazz Men.

british bias again but this album is fantastic

Standard madchester sound. It's fine, not remarkable

Pretty unimpressed with this, honestly. You probably could have thrown in another Shamen album or whatever, and I would have been happier. The only memorable song is the hit, and probably the only reason why it's on this list to begin with.

Again, we're leaning too heavily on Brit albums that didn't do a lot in the US or have much of a legacy. I LOVE the title track, hard to find a better 90's groove for dancing, chilling or partying. I bought the album immediately but was disappointed in the overall content beyond "Connected". The title track has 92M listens, solid, the next closest song has 19M ("Step It Up") then it drops to 3M but most are under 2M. It's that one hit that's keeping this one afloat. "Ground Level" & "Playing With Fire" are solid, but nearly every track before and after are weak and didn't hold up well then or now. Best song I didn't know (or didn't remember, or likely never got to!): "The End" at the end. Try their Best Of compilation or "Deep Down & Dirty" too if you want to hear their more creative catalog. I'd give this 3 stars but it's not a must hear album.

toothless, one step away from lo-fi hiphop

What the fuck is this shit? Why's this guy in the front look like he's doing a magic trick? Assumptions before listening: Obviously British. Trip-hop, dub, whatever you wanna call it...some bullshit music from the 90s that was played in clubs and, like, mixed genres or something. It's probably some hip-hop beats with some scratching and some British guy singing or hopefully not trying to rap. There's probably some jazz influence in here, too. First Song - oh, ok...I remember this song and it should have stayed in the 90s. It was somewhat enjoyable then, but right now it's just annoying. But it's better than fucking Fatboy Slim which is a low bar to hurdle. And it keeps going for over 5 minutes. Second song - probably decent without the vocals. Third song - okay, i get it, you like beats. Fourth song - okay, more beats. I just don't feel the need to listen to the rest. I'm sure in the annals (anals) of British trip-hop, dub or whatever, this is like the Pink Floyd of the genre....or maybe the Led Zeppelin. But I've already heard one too many albums like this on this generator. It's an album that marks the time, but isn't timeless.

Nice and chill

Everything about this album screams "THIS IS GOING TO SUCK BALLS!!" From the album cover, to the album title, to the band name, to the country of origin, to the genre etc. There's just no way some 2 hit wonder in the UK from this era is going to put out an album that's good. Just look at it. Then I hit play and honestly this album bangs. Very groovy, production is beautiful. I can see why some people would hate this record but I just love it

Enjoyment: 7/10 Replayability: 6/10 Cohesion: 7/10 Flow/Pacing: 6/10 Artistic Merit: 7/10 Weighted Average: 6.65/10 Review: There was some good beats in here, but nothing memorable that would make me want to come back for more. I liked some of the funk too. Liked Song(s): Connected, Everything, Fade Away, Step It Up, Creation, The End Disliked Song(s): (None) Recommend? Yes Heard Before? No

From the Vault #35 (January 20, 2026) Yet another pre-written hip-hop review. I've been going absolutely bonkers with these things lately. Anyways, what the hell is this? Hip-hop, of course, but I'm getting gimmickier vibes than that. I'm picking up a jungle brothers style from this cover, but they turned out to be a semi-conventional boom bap act. My next guess would be psychedelia, but 1992 is way too late for that. Maybe a club sound? Something KLF-ey? This is incredibly Britpoppy. I'm not crazy for thinking that, right? Granted, the extreme Britpop sound is relegated mostly to the first track, but it lingers throughout the rest of the album, too. A Britpoppy/dance/hip-hop album sounds atrocious on paper, but I'm surprised by how little this bothers me. The instrumentals are decent, albeit forgettable. The percussion is pretty good, and I appreciate the wide sampling of instruments. There's a nice, bassy sound to many of these tracks, too. UK hip-hop is generally more atrocious and depressing to listen to than its American counterpart, but these vocals are pretty decent. The performances are understated without sounding amateurish or bad. If there's one thing I was correct in predicting about this album, it's the KLF sound. The songwriting and performances are pretty kitsch and of-the-time, but that's kind of endearing. Overall, this album blended together quite a bit and didn't do much to animate me, but there have been far, far worse showings from this list. I can respect this album for being tolerable. Book time. The frontman is an interesting character. Many influences. Wikipedia has quite possibly the shortest introductory section I've read to date. That thing is pitiable. Won a BRIT Award and was nominated for the Mercury Prize. We have few standards here at MRMOS (Me Reviewing Music Or Something) LLC, so it is with great pride that I can announce we're letting this album through. I'd probably snub this under normal circumstances, but I found that there's a virtue in being tolerable when it comes to this list. It's even more admirable if you're able to go a full hour without bugging me. I cosign this inclusion.

Repetitive and derivative. I wouldn't put it on this list. Soft 3 stars.

I'm a sucker for dance music with a funky beat.

Loved grooving with this one.

Not usually a big fan of the genre but enjoyed this one...strong 3.

5.5/10 fairly chill Highlights: Connected Ground Level

3/5

I knew the big hits but had forgotten somewhat about Creation which is initially a bit annoying but did stick in my head. However over the course of an album the obvious rhymes and the banal lyrics really do hold this one back. Not every song has to be poetic but it this just sounds like they went straight from primary school to a recording studio.

nice

꽤 신나는 느낌 이었고, 분위기도 좋았다. It felt quite exciting, and the atmosphere was good, too.

Mais um álbum genérico que não vejo por que está aqui. Sem sal.

Well that was a blast from the past.

The title track is a personal favorite since I was a kid, but I never really heard the rest of this album before. Now I know why... It's just weird mid-90s Brit-hop, which points for it being a few years ahead of that curve, but none of the other tracks seemed like they went anywhere interesting. I imagine it working best in a bar or a coffeehouse. For sit-down listening, it's just one great song with a bunch of dull ones with dopey "We're being profound!" lyrics. (2.5/5)

Bra hiphop, roliga låtar.

This is industrial/EDM for people who don't like industrial/EDM... It's not quite rap and it's not quite industrial. And really, by being neither, it's kinda weak. A lot of people like this kind of thing. A lot of DJ's who used to work with rappers do this as well. I didn't hate listening to it, but I'm not thinking I'd reach for this again any time soon. I don't really care about it strongly one way or the other; I'm fairly indifferent.

Kinda fun

(4/7) a few good ones

All the beats on this album offer a danceable vibe. They get a bit repetitive sounding though. I liked the backing vocals better than the lead singer’s vocals. His voice is fine, but it’s not interesting enough to draw me in. I think I might like this album better in an instrumental format as ambient background music.

8.5/10 This was great! Loved listening on my Sunday run

"Connected" and "Step it Up" were all I really needed to hear. These were the only ones I knew already and the rest all sounded pretty similar. Acceptable hip-hop but too boring to warrant further plays.

No.

Absolutely inexplicable pick. Even as a very small child with a taped copy of this from the library (on the strength of the then ubiquitous and very of its time ‘Connected’) I knew this album was ass. There aren’t really many genres of music more soul-destroying than ‘90s British acid jazz (seeing this has made me realise an appearance from fucking Jamiroquai is inevitable at some point isn't it...). One of the big flaws with this list is that hindsight seems to be a dirty word - just because a load of moronic journalists were on the right sort of drugs to find this shite appealing enough to nominate for all sorts of awards at the time, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t embrace the freeing march of progress and coming down off whatever high to acknowledge that people make mistakes and that there’s a reason no-one under the age of 40 is ever, EVER going to voluntarily hear this rubbish.

Pretty long but it was okay Playlist add: "Everything"

i mean it’s aight

4/10 Too funky for me

Great album, fun.

Good album, nice rhythms, nice vocals. I didn't know the band.

Well, never heard of 'em, but it's not bad! I actually liked it. It did go on a bit too long, had to break and come back to it, but not bad.

Honestly, a super fun British 90’s club album. It’s great for the gym. I think that “Connected” is one of those hits that should be on a “must hear songs before you die” list. I think this track serves as a great entrance to the remainder of a very upbeat and very “let-play-through” type of experience. I think the album, if it is the sole representative of English 90s club music, should be on this list. Overall I would rate it a 7/10 but I’ll be rounding up

The group got some good exposure at the time with 2 top 20 hits in Connected and Step it Up, and a further couple that must have charted too in Ground Level and Creation, which I also remember very well! I got into this album at the time, aided by them being played in the Indie clubs i'd frequent in the mid-late 90s. I now own a copy that I purchased for the princely sum of £1! Not that I listen to it much these days... it's perhaps a little longer than it should be but actually it is better than perhaps it gets credit for. It's a cool jazzy vibe, likely borrowing from Native Tongues but with a distinctly English vibe. Perhaps not one you must hear before you die but not one you'll be sorry you did.

easy listening

The basic formula here is "*Screamadelica* plus hip-hop," more or less - similar Madchester sonic palette as the base, only with Rob B.'s raps over top, plus a harder lean into the disco and funk influences that were always present in the whole scene. So why do I occasionally suspect this might be just as good or even - gasp - *better* than that record? At the very least they are good at different things; although this effort lacks Primal Scream's genre-crossing sonic voraciousness and therefore suffers from a bit of samey-ness across it's hourlong runtime, it also maintains its focus and avoids wandering off into garden paths a bit better. And beyond just "Connected" (which you've at least heard on an ad at some point) there are plenty of highlights - the energetic "Creation" with its jazz flute and the smooth "Fade Away" with its Donna Summer breeze, to name just two. I expected this to be a mere novelty, and I guess from a certain perspective it is - but "novelty" repeated with enough consistency just becomes a really good pop album.

Chill and good. That is all

On the scene man, when met Viv a d north wales

Two bangers and a lot of songs that sound very similar to the bangers

This tested my patience

I'm getting essence of Betty Boo and shades of Shamen in here. I guess they were all mixed and poured from the same pot. Not bad.

Really cool funky, beats with cool "Gorillaz-rap" like vocals. These guys were crazy and I love the vibe they bring.

Solid 3

I like this album more whenever there aren't vocals. The vocals sound like the kind of thing you'd hear at a school assembly as lame white people try to rap about how bad drugs are or that we shouldn't have sex. Once that thought entered my mind I found it hard to take this album seriously.

Connected is totally badass. Beats and mixes on the whole record are infectious. Lyric are very rudimentary. Some of it gets a little repetitive, but it’s also got a very hypnotic quality… which is what makes it great electronic dance music. It’s fun hip hop/house dance record. Appreciate it for what it is.

I shouldnt like this so much 4/5

Fun 90s dance music.

Also just not really my genre, maybe 2 or 3. Some good tracks so probably 3.

Finished without me noticing which is never a great sign. Is fun at times though. RYM: N Saved a song: N

Not a bad album, of its time for sure. The title track makes you think of hacking in the 90s.

This is fun music. Sounds like the music equivalent of a product you would purchase at the seven eleven. Could probably hack planet to this tho.

Smiješan album, ali simpatičan, vraća u neka bolja vremena 😁 3/5, 5/10

This seems like a great album to put on at the point in a party where there are still like 5 people hanging around but you really want them to leave so you can go to bed.

I found this to be extremely meh. It's fine, but if I'm going to listen to this kind of light-lunch, early 90s dance pop, I'll just put on Ace of Base.

This album very much sounds of its time and place, but it's one I have affection for—probably because this dropped when I was watching 120 Minutes religiously. (RIP to Dave Kendall.) "Connected" is an iconic song of the era, and there's some fun stuff on here. The moments where Rob B leans into rapping are less compelling, but what do you want? He was a white dude from England who started this band in the mid-'80s.

Honestly another great boat album, fuckin sea turtles yo

Not something I'd normally listen to but it was surprisingly enjoyable to listen to.

You had to be there I suppose, and by there I mean Britain in the early 90’s. Music was genuinely exciting then, and for the first time Britain was funky. Shuffling beats and rapping in a genuinely British voice. The singles stand out but it’s great fun but perhaps not a significant album

First track I figured I wouldn't like the album, but then it got good ... then outright boring. On balance, it's not a bad LP, but it doesn't deserve to be on this list.

This is what good hip hop sounds like for someone who has never lived in an urban area before.

3.5

Not the worst thing ever, just gets kind of boring. Even the opening track, which brings me back to good 90s vibes, gets old after about 2:30.

There's definitely a signature sound that is all theirs on this album. Some songs I liked more than others but it's not bad.

This one fills me with dread. know the singles as this was everywhere. Decades of Connected and Step it Up being in different ads provoke an immense dislike. Might be too laid back, and the version on Spotify sounds so flat. 1.5 rounded down Heard before? Some Owned: No, 94/356 (26%) Will I get: No

Good

Not something that I’m really into at all, but it wasn’t a bad or tough listen.

The 90's was a weird place, where albums like this were able to be successful. Big nope from me.

I liked the drums. Was kinda fun

This was okay but kind of long for what it is.

No way this belongs in the 1001...

It was okay. Connected is a good song and there are a few others, like Fade Away. The rest is just okay

Not terrible but not great

Come on already. 1.0

Another new to me album and group. Upbeat and positive electronic hip hop, nice way to start my Friday. A lot of it reminded me of Groove is in the Heart, and that's a good thing. I listened through a few times and enjoyed all of it.

More early 90s Trip Hop I don’t know that I needed to hear. That one song, sure. But not the whole album.

Connected was always one of those songs in movie trailers that I actually quite enjoyed. My biggest issue with this album and genre is the repetitiveness. I get trying to fuse together hip hop and electronica but this just misses the mark for the most part.

Booooooring electronic music. 4 minute songs that feel like 4 hours

Didn't like them in the 90s, don't like them now. Boring music with some interesting choruses. Barely 2 stars

Stereo MCs in the place to be…mediocre

Classic sound and representation of an era in hip hop. This doesn’t completely grab me, but it’s a fun record and has some very engaging compositions. I will revisit this one.

I might have to sit down and do the math, because I seem to find myself listening to British people express their big ideas over repetitive dance beats more than once a week. I want to come clean and say that I tend to love a lot of what comes from the British Isles. My mother is Scottish for christ's sake. I have been there many times, and I find the people to be generally intelligent, funny, and warm. The comedy there is excellent, the sports are supported passionately and less infected with American sensibilities, and musically, they can boast the birth of heavy metal and grindcore. Not to mention, the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin etc. This shit however? I am done with. There are some reasonably enjoyable moments on this record, but it drags about half an hour past its welcome and reminds me why I tend to roll my eyes so vigorously at this list every day. I could see listening to this as background music in a vintage clothing store in a gentrified area of a major city, and perhaps absent-mindedly bobbing my head. Is that where we are? "Hey this is inoffensive at a low volume, let chuck it on the list? Formed in Clapham??? Oh baby this thing is top 500, let alone 1000." Every person is biased, and this bias is starting to drive me insane. I suppose the definition of insanity does apply here, as I return to this every. single. day. 1.5-2 HIGHLIGHTS: New list idea. Every British album ever recorded.

Absolute dogshit that has no business being on the list. Generic 90s electronic music mixed with mediocre vocals and bad rapping is not a pleasurable listen at all. Also, I struggle to think who would be influenced by this insipid album, so it doesn't even have that. Get this off the list.

Nothing great, but a fun reminder of the 1990s.

It's an okay album with a few decent tracks. "Connected" didn't completely meet my expectations, but it's fine. The production was subpar compared to "Connected"'s peers. Most of the singles were nice and prevented "Connected" from getting a lower rating. However, the album's still forgettable. 3 stars for "Connected".

Enjoyed this! Old school hiphop combined with live instruments and a sort of trippy, jazzy vibe and really nice back up vocals. I didn't like his voice at first but the album really comes together super nicely with loads of quirky elements, jazzy beats, funky instruments and weird sounds. Very creative.

Upbeat and sometimes fun to listen to. Not really all that memorable, though.

vibin

Qué es? Trip hop todo igual? Muy poca variedad en los temas. Realmente muy monótono. Casi una hora que me costó terminar. 3/10

I was buzzing from a strong joint when I slapped this into my ear holes. My expectations could not have been lower. So I was delighted when I actually had a great time. Unrepentantly ‘90s production underneath some timeless bounce.

Pressed play and my finger hovered over the one star button. Then it the harmless fun idiot music washed over me and life wasn’t that bad. Then it got worse again and life regressed to the mean.

Fun

So... Is this hip hop or electronic music? I am legitimately confused by the album classification vs. the reviews. I listened, and the answer is that it's vocal electronic music. Basically, this was made by writing some basic lyrics and singing them in a not terribly involving way over early-90s rave music. Unfortunately for the Stereo MC's, it's not really a winning formula. I find myself preferring big beat when it's just the music itself rather than with tepid vocals over it. In the end, the effect is the creation of a terrible mid-90s electronic record with shitty rapping. I've had three less-than-good albums in a row now, and this marks a new nadir. Grossly terrible. This album is ranked #19 of 26 albums for 1992. Other 1992 albums rated by me: Dirt(3/26)-5 The Predator(5/26)-3 It's A Shame About Ray(11/26)-3 Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury(21/26)-2 Lam Toro(23/26)-3

It's entries like this that make me think the curator of this 1001 albums list must be from the UK. England specifically. It has some cool, chilled out stuff, but it's overall safety gives it this high school disco vibe. I understand that this must have been a bridge between trip hop and mainstream pop but I can just imagine this being really hyped on Blue Peter at the time. Some of it comes across as cheesy, but it's mild cheese, like the Babybel in your packed lunch. It could have been more adventurous and due to it's length I zoned out a few times. Ultimately it's harmless fun. 3/5

What if Madchester was from Essex? Honestly not the worst thing in the world but the lyrics were a bit too woo woo for me and the instrumentation, while pleasant, wasn't hugely distinctive or variable throughout the album. If I'd been a teenager on eccies in the early 90s, then I'd probably love it.

This is like hip hop for people afraid of hip hop. It's really nothing special. The first song is fun and I remember when it was inescapable on the radio, but it's not enough to carry a whole album that is so same-samey from start to finish. The only other track that stood out to me was "Fade Away", but that's because it's one of the lamest songs I've heard in a long time...

Meh

Pas si mal, l'album ne m'a pas transcendé mais a été consistant du début à la fin.

Holy shit, such a Cheese-Fest. At first a was like: hm, nice funky beats, smooth voice talking over the rythm, could this hit the same spot Parliament/Funkadelic or Tribe Called Quest do so good, but I was disappointed. The lyrics are such on the nose, cheesy bullshit and the rythms are nothing I havent heard before

1.5 stars It opens with the one song I know, the best song as far as I could tell from the album. And it’s a song that I’ve heard dozens if not hundreds of times but always zone out because it’s not interesting. It’s background music to the early 90s, and doesn’t serve any other purpose.

Connected is a great song. Sadly, there were other songs on the album.

Certainly fun album, but it just doesn’t vibe with me :(

What a lot of fun. There’s some good catchy stuff on here that warrants long-term repeating. Almost four stars.

Pretty banging overall

Fun but can't keep it up after connected which was a bit of a bummer that song slaps

Enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. Fav track was Everything

I remember the title track, the rest was kind of hard to get through.

I read the writing on the wall. Got myself connected. Now my mind's not neglected. And I never stumble. I never fall. 4.35

I can't understand why so many albums with a single good song made this list. Frankly it's infuriating. But this at least had the one good song. In contrast to the albums that somehow made the list despite sucking from start to finish.

Oh damn... OK so you know these folks. Well if your old anyway. This album was everywhere for a minute. At this point it's been on TV shows, commercials, movies, other songs, you name it. It's also very earwormy to me. As soon as I heard it I remembered it all. Not good nostalgia, more like Patty Hearst. It's not bad if you are into this genre. I'm just not.

Very listenable

Some fun and fancy grooves here. Connected was definitely a song on the radio in my youth. It took me back for sure.

So deeply iconic, I found myself constantly bumping along to it

Yeah, quite fun. Some nice compact funky beats. I heard some of the vocal lines before and associated them with madchester and indie stuff - I never noticed previously that the beats are hip/trip hop like and it has a more electronic feel.

nice and relaxing. the rapping reeks of 80s though.

ну скучно

Great beats, inane lyrics, woefully repetitive.

I loved this! I thought it was so fun. A friend told me they gave it a 1. I don't know if I am incorrect or I should give my pal a 1.

Me atrapo desde el inicio, inicio muy fuerte aunque me fue perdiendo ya al final, buenas pistas

Connected is still an earworm. The rest of the album is questionably essential but unoffensive enough.

nice trippy sounds

There is some rap but it's not a hip hop album that's why I enjoyed it...

2/5

A real good time! Bass is powerful, tunes are groovy. Good background album, but merits a relisten.

Pretty easy listening but not the type of easy listening I actually like

ipod advertising music in all the worse ways. It is so unremarkable and nothing music it slips into a curious awfulness. 2.

terribly unremarkable but i wouldnt complain about it

it sounds good but it was like i registered the same track

It was fine lol. Not my taste but not bad. Good background music.

Oh hey i remember this song, the title track. (One of the reviews reminds me that "Connected" was used in that fabulously ridiculous 90s film "Hackers," which I was subjected to earlier this year. And when that song came on I said "oh hey I remember this song.") If I'm going to listen to dumb lyrics, they should accompany fun electronic dance music like this. That's my rule and I'm sticking with it. Favorite track: All Night Long 4 stars

The 90s can keep this one.

3.75

Enjoyed the vibe to this record, but felt like all the songs blended into one by the end of the album. 5/10

quite fun but eh?

ive been interested to learn more about this era/type of music but trying to get thru this was a slog. like the single tho

Not awful or annoying, but not memorable either.

As much as I want to hate it, I enjoy the album.4

Fun, funky, 90s hip hop

Pleasant overall with a few that hit. Is inspiring a soul train.

certified ass music.

Good ass 90's hip-hop, simple as. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 3. Honestly? Good vibes to chill to instrumentally. The problem is, this album just sort of settles there. Each track contains good flows, good energy, & generally, it does lift up to be as compelling as its beat. The problem is that each track lifts up about halfway in, and then settles for the rest of the track, creating a consistent stagnancy that never elevates this album past being enjoyably passable. There’s good lines, there’s good intent on each track, there’s generally something catchy & boppy to the instrumentals that occasionally feels like it’s ahead of schedule for 1992, & I can’t really find many major complaints about each track save for “All Night Long”, which just goes nowhere for its entire runtime. From a purely technical standpoint, it’s not bad, and I’d genuinely vibe to these. However, it’s also 56 minutes that only meaningfully uses about 28-30 of those minutes in a compelling way. The microcosm of this is in the last track, “The End”, where the first two verses / first half of the song are enjoyable, but then it goes absolutely nowhere for the back half of the track. Hence, a 3. I really don’t think I need to go track by track here at all, or break it down any further. It might have good lines & good intent, but it never says anything more concrete as a total package. It’s a competently made album that just never meets its potential. For some people, that’s enough to go down to a 1. For me, I found myself bopping my head enough to keep this at a 3, but that’s the absolute ceiling here. I’m not really sure it had to be on the list.

The kind of British where it sounds like he is gargling marbles. It’s like Massive Attack but instead of being cool they are dorks. 6/10

Some jams on this one 3.5/5

Corny and dated

Ok to listen to once but I don’t need to do it again. Some songs are just fillers here. Maybe I am this harsh with the record because I have never been a huge rap fan.

I am sure that back in the day I would have vurned my face off in aomw club dancing to this or some other similar club-hop 90’s english combo. But in thw cold light of day, its not an album for me. Does not hold my attention or interest.

Boring ass UK disco

Not bad. A testament to its time.

This would normally be my kinda thing, but I found this overly simplistic and repetitive. The musical equivalent of "are we there yet?"

I know that one song

While not a classic in the traditional sense like most on this list, I really enjoyed this. Brought back fun memories of the early nineties playing ping-pong in my basement.

I remember the splash this made in the British music scene when this came out, and even so I really don’t think this has a place on the list. It’s not bad, it moves along quite nicely, and the big singles are part of the cultural wallpaper now, but it’s not something I’m going to be rushing back to.

The singles are very recognisable, I think stereo MC's is a bad name to stand out as a 90 dance act mind. Was mildly disappointed this turned out not to be bombfunk MCs. It has a classic sound for the era which I never really got on board with, don't think it's dated well. The singles probably show that it's one of the best of it's type though.

All just quite boring. I can imagine every song sung directly to a camera that keeps zooming in and out, in the middle of an industrial wasteland. I felt disconnected.

Very of it's time. Just by the sound of this I could immediately place it within a few year period, which in itself is quite something I guess. Didn't particularly enjoy the album as a whole and not sure it really deserves to be on the list. 2 will do

ten cuidado, es un criminal

Damn this is boring… Not bad, just boring. Just more Brit Bias… and considering how many good hip hop albums are missing, it’s kind of just pathetic the people who put this list together are allowed to talk music ever.

Simultaneously feel way too young and too old to enjoy this. Maybe drugs would help.

This was fun, I knew this one a little bit. I don't know if I will go back to it, but I enjoyed it the first time

ok

Connected is an album that i didn't expect to like it as much as i did but that is what ended up happening. After the fun ride that was the title track, the album did feel very repetitive for quite a bit of time to a point where despite the fact that i liked how funky it was, i just felt it was gonna be samey and forgettable but when i got to Step It Up, that was when the album was able to hook me right back in and it didn't let go for the rest of the runtime. Like i said, the songs were real funky, the vocals fit well and while the lyrics were a bit basic, they still worked well for the songs and i could see them being fun to sing along to. Despite the repetitive first half, i really enjoyed my time with this album. Best Song: Creation Worst Song: Sketch

..

Classic funky grooves. Definitely adding it to the rotation.

J’avais un coup de mou, et il est parti avec cet album

dance. 1992 -> 2

super samey, not very exciting

Musik die man gerne hört

pleasant but corny and drawn out, gets a bit tiresome by the end, but not bad.

Muy disfrutable el disco.

This surprised me. A bit more to it than the two singles which are often played on UK Indie radio. Would give this another go. I liked the vibe.

This had some fun and funky beats! Creation and All night long were some stand outs. I'm in a 90s club music phase so this definitely fit in that bucket, meaning I'm probably rating it higher than I would normally...7/10

I found this album replacement-level. The lead singer has an okay flow, not good, not bad. It's got a decent enough groove, and "Connected" is a good enough song, but it's fairly forgettable.

5 sterne

Boring, lame and generic trip hop that the 90s produced by the metric ton, except this time with a bonus: awful rapping! There is only one memorable song, which the group must have understood, because they made it the opening track, the first single, and named the album after it. Best track: “Connected”

Pretty solid for two white boys in the early 90s. First song Connected has an electronic big band feel reminiscent of Fatboy Slim. This would be great to remix

Inoffensive - well, unless you count the fairly terrible early ‘90s “rapping” - and bland. Though it sports a warm jazzy funk and hiphop vibe, it doesn’t vary much or leave much of an impression. I’ve always liked the namesake single that leads off the album, the rest just floated by.

I thought I quite liked the Stereo MC's. They have a few catchy songs. A whole album was too much for me - way too samey. I'll be generous and give it a 3.

This album sounds like shopping at Contempo Casuals circa 1992. It has a very specific sound that existed for a wonderful, brief moment in time, and while it's not bad to me, I can see how it might sound dated. It's like one of those "you had to be there" vibes.

Fun

The title track is ok, but other than that, it's pretty meh. for me. I will say that it sounds more late 90's techno, than early 90's techno... so maybe it was ahead of it's time. But it just didn't grab me.

Este album esta bastante bien pero se quedo estancado en el tiempo, y el genero evoluciono tanto (especialmente en los propios 90s) que no se siente como un esencial 6.75/10

Fun 90s dance music, but too repetitive, usually versus only, no true chorus, no bridge. I liked when the female vocalists came in and actually sang.

This record literally has zero appeal. Sometimes it's possible to feel misty-eyed and nostalgic about music you remember from your youth, well, early twenties for me in this instance, even if you didn't like it at the time. To say I didn't like Stereo MCs at the time doesn't really do justice to just how much I didn't like them. There's absolutely nothing essential about this record, and I find it staggering that anyone remembered it six months after it was released, never mind 30-plus years later.

Stereo MCs always seemed to me to be a producer and record execs idea of a band. "So we need a singer who's a bit of a wideboy, yeah yeah and we'll use that drumbeat, and... tedious dross

Surprisingly good

Brit pop sensibility and nineties approach to rhythm

Kind of funky and fun in parts. I think it would be better as an instrumental type record. The British rapping will never sound good to me. Definitely would not say this is in any way essential listening. 2.6/5

This made me feel unconnected.

Didn’t grab me - wannabe triphop without the class

I recognize the first song and it's a cool funky beat. I imagine this email meant something because it was something different but it didn't do much for me as a whole. Lots of songs and beats felt interchangable

Me likey

Great great great album! Connected is one of my fave songs.

Did not recognize the artist, but the opening track Connected definitely sounded familiar. Though this music uses a lot of electronics, it surprisingly doesn't sound dated to me. I think the use of live drums helps it to have a fresher feel. I have to say, I really appreciate acts that use synths, but not drum machines. Franz Ferdinand is another band that I appreciate this about. There is also nice use of woodwinds throughout the albums. And though this isn't particularly cutting edge (even for 1992 standards), and there are plenty of other hip hop albums that probably do this even better, I found myself really enjoying this. A few days ago I actually started making an early 90s hip hop playlist including the likes of Bel Biv Devo, Arrested Development and others. I'll probably add a track or two from this as well.

This wasn’t magnificent, but I like this sort of thing and found it to be catchy and enjoyable. 1 listen Favorite Track: Title Track

Expectation: -> Familiar band name. I think I might like this. After listening: -> Well this was fun. The song Connected is clearly recognized and excellent. Lot to like here but no other song really stood out. A lot of good songs and an easy listen. Took me a full day and 3-4 listens to push this from 3 to 4. I feel that the limited vocal range and talk-singing detracted some from my overall opinion. Some fast/energetic songs came off flat/dull. Enjoyed a lot of these rhythms/beats and the background singers are a highlight. Track ranking: Connected Fire Don't let up Sketch Everything Creation Fade Ground Step Pressure Night End Chicken

I didn't recognize the artist immediately but as soon Connected started playing I knew instantly. This genre isn't usually up my alley but this was an enjoyable listen.

This album is a vibe

Connected is a 90's classic. Didn't know the band name of that tune until today though. They're described as Acid Jazz on Wikipedia. That seems an apt description. The album is just full of fun little smooth beats of mid level energy jazz poppieness. If that makes sense. You can't help but bob your head. It's good... Very good.

Connected is one of those songs I remember from the 90s that I feel like I'm they only one who does. Great song. The whole album holds up just as well. It has a great groove and it's really well done. Zero complaints.

Very upbeat funky jazzy hip hop music. The lyrics could be a bit more substantial but was very fun listen

Generator is on a groovy detour currently. Certainly enjoyed this more than the britpop albums from the same era. I understand how it could be too much listening to the album straight through but I had a break in the middle and was still enjoying it once I came back to it. Even some of their songs which were not popular (on Spotify) I was enjoying. I could handle more Stereo MC's in my listening list. Thanks generator!

Not my thing but I didn't hate it.

sooo groovyy. i love this sm lowk repetitive but so fun

Jævlig enerveranes. Æ tror ikke det e dårlig, og det e sikkert sjangerdefineranes på ett eller anna vis, men det va ikke interessant nok til at æ synes det va verdt å høre på.

Immediately recognized and enjoyed the opening track. Largely decent background music otherwise.

7/10 It's got some nice beats but I didn't care for the rap verses.

This is an album very much of its time. For some listeners this could be a detriment as even artists they influenced like Massive Attack could be seen in the same light (is trip hop is even still a thing?). Having said that though I still get enjoyment out of a lot of the songs on here, Step it Up and the title track remain classic earworms whilst you can hear a lot of the trip hop sound in songs like Sketch, Playing with Fire and Chicken Shake. Overall yes its dated but its still an enjoyable listen.

Don’t know this and the album cover is hilariously 90s. Old school jazzy dance music. Hip hop but British. Way more dance heavy and kinda fun to listen to. Easier to listen to while doing something or moving around because when trying to just sit and listen and take in the music, it gets repetitive. Overall it’s okay. Probably not my choice of album as it doesn’t really stand out over the whole length. 2/5

So, this wasn't really my thing in 1992. I remember Connected, of course, that was everywhere for a while. Still not something I plan to revisit, but kind of fun to go back and hear again in full.

Even in my days of running around with glowsticks in my pockets at the all ages club, spun out and obsessed with any electronic music I could hear, this album was still super cheesy.

Chill

3.4 1x Marta to airport (Tampa trip)

fine!

These repetitive one-chord jams might sound fine on a boomin' sound system in da club but ultimately the threadbare nature of these barely-rapped no-melody numbers doesn't stand up to the cold light of day.

Groove-driven hip-house and alternative dance built on looping basslines, steady breakbeats, sampled textures, and laid-back, rhythmic vocals moves with smooth, repetitive flow. Listening feels like cruising through a city at night where the same beat carries you forward without much change in scenery. The result partially catchy and cohesive while mostly its repetition can feels flat over time.

I had mixed feelings about this album at first. It’s very very “of its time” which I think could put some people off. I think that’s why it took a minute for me to enjoy this album. But by the second or third listen I was enjoying it much more. It is kinda silly in the production and style. It really screams late 90s/early 2000s. Especially the opening track “connected” which I think was in a movie or something cause I had definitely heard that song before. Weirdly it wasn’t my favorite song on the album, I really enjoyed songs like “ground level” “sketch” “everything” “creation” “playing with fire” and “chicken shake”. It’s a lot of the same sound from start to finish which definitely hurts it in my eyes. I always prefer an album with lots of variety. But it’s a solid album, it really has great energy and it’s endearing, even if it’s not a perfect album.

Pretty funky and while the production definitely feels somewhat dated, it's not aged that badly and feels like it still works. I did find it flagging and getting a bit repetitive as it wore on, similarly to some of its fellow baggy/pre-Britpop efforts (Happy Mondays, KLF, Primal Scream...) I did wonder if it would sit along the likes of Boo Radleys and The Cardigans in having that one hit that wrongly defines the album which has a lot more to offer, but to be honest, Connected is by far the standout track and they bunged it right at the beginning. I suspect a lot of the units they shifted were never even played beyond track 1. It was worth an hour of my day, but I don't think I'll be doing many repeat listens if I'm brutally honest.

I didn't really finish it but I get the the gist. Psychedelia infused electronic pop music. Akin to Dee lites, and various others. Theres some charm here worth considering in the lexicon of music. But substance is not here.

Sonically I love the idea of this, it’s a slick type of sound I’m often entirely into…. Except it’s much too long and circular. Nearly every song could benefit from 1-2 minutes being sliced off.

This album really brings back a particular time/place for me. The title track was everywhere in 1992. Not a great album but good enough.

What makes the album work is that it understands vibe is not enough unless the songs can carry it. A lot of groove-heavy records give you one atmosphere and then coast.

Nice to have a good groove, but I run out of steam quickly much as I like what I am hearing at the moment.

I was never bothered about stereo MC’s apart from their singles but this hit the right spot today. It definitely connected and was the upbeat vibe I needed.

That title track is inspired. The rest... not so much.

I forgot about this band. Or more accurately, I forgot about the song Connected because that's the only familiar tune. But I just loved this album and the vibe they were rocking. I had it going loud in the kitchen when Andre walked in dancing...so that bumps it up to 4.8.

I think an initial reaction to this might be that it feels very of-its-time, reflecting dance music still in its infancy. But by the time this came out, New Order, Primal Scream, and Massive Attack had already created house-influenced music that was more layered and - crucially - more varied (to say nothing of the actual house artists making more vital music at the time). There are some good beats on this, but they're rather simple and don't show much evolution over their runtime. The pace is steady and relatively slow, the vocals laid-back to match. Outside of a flute that pops up occasionally, there are few music surprises that really pop. This is fairly catchy, so I find it impossible to outright dislike, but it's too short on exciting and unique moments for me to really like either.

english jazz/triphop music. this is a certain type of club jazzhop where people don't mosh or jump to the music like mad, but either just nod in their seats as they get a drink or do a nice shuffle to the left and right. lyrical content that seems to channel the emotions of human nature greatly if i'm being real, these are some of the smoothest beats i've ever heard in my life. i'm a big trip hop fan and listening to some of these tracks transports me to another plane. there's something about this genre that's so unbelievably classy, like if i had a penthouse, red velvet robe, a fireplace... this much is very sexy to me. if i wasn't self-conscious i would totally just get hammered and let the album play for hours. it's so groovy!

Good music to vibe to. Nothing groundbreaking, but fun. 2.9/5.

75

British rap, the same thing every single time

Was there only one drum sound in the 90s??

Started off quite strong but I got bored toward the end. Maybe would give 3.5 for first half

Very cool early trip-hop

I didn't expect to enjoy this much but really enjoyed some of the tracks, and the rest were certainly listenable.

As horribly dated as you might expect from a band called Stereo MCs. I kind-of liked some of their songs the first time round, and one or two are still catchy, but the whole album is very samey and quite annoying in places.

Nothing on the album lived up to the first track, but the first track is definitely a bop.

I don’t even remember listening to this album on Friday. I don’t remember hating it though, so 3?

Lobby music 2 stars

Not the biggest electronica fan, and the album itself went on for too long. Someone the individual songs are good, but on the whole I would probably only listen to those songs (like the first track), and not the album as whole.

6/10… 90s dance / electronica / *1992

It’s a vibe