Connected

Eclectic mix of 90’s electronic music and hip hop with the very pleasant surprise of saxophone and jazz flute throughout. The album worked better than I would have expected. Had no difficulty listening all the way through. The only detractor would be the vocals, although they fit into the mix well on here. Favorites: Fade Away; Connected. 4/5.

Very nice, Title track is a banger

Very good, very funky. I'm not sure it's essential beyond the singles, though.

Cool music for the coming spring. I enjoyed it while walking through the park

Cool

A very memorable album for me. Follow sure Connected and Step up.

I actually enjoyed this album. I always thought they were a one hit wonder with Connected but after listening to the album, I feel it is pretty legit overall

The Groove was real, tinsel fringe on my brain cells makes me happy when the sun shines in

I liked this more than I thought I would. You get past the "hit" first song, and the rest of it was pretty good. I liked the lead vocals, there was a smarminess to it that I really dug. For some reason t reminded me of the vocals to the way you hear "Puttin' On The Ritz." I thought I would have gotten bored with the songs, but as I went through each track, it was varied enough that I was surprised. Each song seemed like a refreshing change form the previous one, they did not blur together for me at all, which was a very pleasant surprise. "Chicken Shake" at first I thought was going to have vocals, I was surprised that it was a pretty decent instrumental for what it was. Favorite tracks: "Connected," "Step It Up," "Chicken Shake," "Fade Away"

Like everyone else I knew the title track, “Connected”, going into this. It’s a hypnotic track with a driving beat that even those who have no inclination to dance at all can’t help tapping their foot to at the very least. The rest of the album keeps it up! I hear a Talking Heads influence here on some of the tracks. The music is upbeat, and the lyrics are interesting. They sound like they’re an awesome band to see live. I’m definitely going down the rabbit hole with their music after this.

Somewhere between Happy Mondays and East 17, with a sprinkle of The Brand New Heavies. But obviously doing their own thing though. Nottingham, who knew? ‘92 - a simpler time when you could get away with this naff whiteboy rapping. A couple of really good singles on there and a lot of decent albums tracks, could benefit from dropping a bit of filler though, get it down to 40mins.

Enjoyable album from just before all the acid-jazz stuff Natalie and I listened to in the mid 90s. Nice grooves, chill but not sleepy, works in the background and on closer listening. Thoughtful and well delivered lyrics, with a strong vein of social commentary that is (alas) still relevant. No one song really stays with me, other than the single, but I’ll be back to spin this album again.

Would you like to listen to smooth grooves for about an hour? Because that's what this is.

This was a surprise. I expected some more raw hip-hop or noisy electronica. But instead was an album full of funky beats. Even the rap songs were enjoyable. This is an album I would spool up again next time I'm in the mood for some beats. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.

Great album. Connected is such a good song

I didn't know who this band was when it popped up here, but once "Connected" started playing I recognized it immediately. It got a lot of radio play when it came out, but it was a song I couldn't wait for to be over. I kept an open mind while listening to the album and was pleasantly surprised. I get why "Connected" was released, but I like every other song on the album more. Right or wrong, these songs make me think of a party version of Massive Attack. I'm on the fence between 3 and 4.

That's who made all those songs then!

very nice grooves and overall had nice structure and coherence

Un poco repetitivo

Honestly not quite as great and cohesive as their decade-later followup LP Deep Down And Dirty, but still great fun to listen to.

Definitely one of the better hiphop albums we've had recently, sounds a bit like massive attack in a good way

Actually surprisingly good, groovy, 90s ravey vibes. Great to work to. Sorta corny from time to time. A bit jez from Peep show. Encapsulates the age well and zips along very digestibly.

Normally don’t enjoy hip hop but liked this album.

Favourite track(s): Everything; Sketch This albums takes a sound similar to that of my favourite tracks from Massive Attacks Album released one year prior, employs it in almost every song, adds clean and chill lyrics and still manages to mix it up here and there. It may become kinda same-y by the end and The End is certainly not the most exciting track. But it is still a cool album all in all and makes for a chill listen.

Great grooves / vibe / mood

Legitimately interesting sounds that made this worth listening to. Songs and Lyrical acumen not spectacular but the sounds were intriguing.

I remember it well. Good stuff.

Listened Before?N This album made me miss the 90's! I really enjoyed it. It got a bit repetitive sounding the further it went, but overall not bad. I'll consider putting some of this in a party rotation. That first track is an absolute iconic banger! Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Connected

This rocked more than I thought it would. Excellent listen.

I was definitely a fan of the title track when this came out. I may have listened to a couple of other songs back then as well because they kind of seemed familiar but I definitely thought of Stereo MC's as one hot wonders. You know what though? I really liked this, it was better than expected.

Interessante opção de trip hop com mais animação.

5/21/2022 - ALBUM #114 Today's Album: "Connected" by Stereo MC's - This is the most impressive album I have heard in quite a while. This band does an absolutely stellar job mixing 90s Hip Hop/Rap with the new-age electronic aesthetics that started in the late 80s. First, the band is absolutely stellar. Each track has an amazing, memorizing groove to it that just make me want to move. The vocals in both the rap verses as well as the choruses are both really well done. I really enjoyed a more laid back approach to rap and the main vocalist has a really smooth, yet mysterious tone. Speaking of the choruses, each of them are so incredibly catchy and likeable without being really poppy. I like a lot of the background vocal performances and each track feels so unique while maintaining a really consistent quality. The track Everything stands out as a really great fast rap sequence with an incredibly groovy funk beat and just a ton of goddamn personality. The production and of the instruments sound good throughout the entire project and I particularly like how the project is mixed. Everything comes through really clearly and plays off of each other so well. Some songs are a bit boring compared to others, but even if I don't like a song's songwriting, it always impresses me enough to hop onto the highlights list and the rap verses are structured in a way to where it doesn't get as stale as some of the songs off of the NWA record I reviewed earlier. Overall, this is easily the best 90s rap album the generator has given me and given how early in the 90s it came out, it feels way more like an influential album than a collage of clichés. Nothing I could say in this review would describe how colorful and fun these songs are, so it really should just be experienced for yourself. Give this one a listen PLEASE if you are into R&B, Rap, or Electronica and you'll see what I'm talking about. Highlights: Connected, Ground Level, Everything, Sketch, Fade Away, All Night Long, Step It Up, Playing With Fire, Pressure, Chicken Shake, Creation, The End Score: 8.5/10 Crazy fun electronic hip-hop

Þetta er 1992 bara í einni plötu. Legendary.

Early 90's fun, gets a little tired towards the end but great opening 3.8

I had minimal expectations for this album. I mean I do like the title song "Connected" but... This album is actually not bad at all and the style of music still sounds pretty good. That style of music being called English hip-hop/house/electronic. I think I would put this more into the electronic or dance category with its dance beats and groove. The hip-hop is some rapping and sampling. The album sounds of its time, earlier 90's, but the production is quite good. The goal is simple: Dance, Party and Have Fun. Goal met. The song structure is basically led by the beat and filled in with vocals(lead and backing), samples, keyboards, synthesizers and horns. Besides "Connected", other songs that stood out were "Ground Level" - more laidback groove and more a soulful feel, "Fade Away" - faster dance beat, "Creation" - love the "Ring My Bell" vibe and rapping and "Step It Up" - their other hit single. This album may not be as cutting-edge techno-wise as some of the other mid-to-later 90's artists would be but appears to be influential (Hi early Gorillaz) and sounded fine today.

Smooth, takes its time. Rapping sounds dated, but pleasant.

Great electronic bops

Cool sound. Connection is a great song. Similar vibes for the othe rings in the album, overall I really enjoyed the majority of the album

Cool album. I think it's possible that my nostalgia for this era is causing me to overrate it but I really think this is one of the best examples of this style of music out there.

-A very weak 4 honestly. Generally pleasant to listen to, but not a lot really drawing me back. Songs are catchy and fun but just not very exciting

This was an awesome album. Some 90's hip hop from a a very diverse group based on the album cover. I enjoyed almost every song and a few I saved. These are the albums I'm looking for with this list!

Grooooovy.

surprisingly good! had me dancing from the start - rap was very 90's - in a good way

These guys were contemporaries with Happy Mondays, but I like this way better. I think I’ve heard a few of these in commercials or similar. Groovey stuff.

Very very cool album. Ending's a bit weak but overall really good.

really cooool one of the songs near the end kinda sucked though

This album is a pleasant surprise. Funky with clever lyrics. I'd heard of Stereo MC's, but hadn't spent any time listening to their work.

Some wicked sounds couple of duds but top overall

It was no bad decent for background music

Very good

A lot of the songs are fairly repetitive but I still really enjoyed the album! Just has good vibes all around and Connected is a great song. 3.5

Surprisingly good, kinda kitch but good.

Recognised only the first track from the 1995 classic Hackers, but enjoyed the album overall - very chill

Man!!! Just a really really really good dance album. I loved listening to this. I think they must have had an influence on Massive Attack. Not quite in that category but close 4 stars

Wow this is just a GREAT dance album, worthy of many more listens. A very good discovery. 4 stars 🌟

Fun! A good bit of 90s UK club track.

I liked this. It is like 90's dance funk, but easy to listen to.

Tip top British funk, disco, jam

Cool

Great 90s music. Made me nostalgic.

Yeah! Eindelijk eens iets écht leuks wat ik nog niet kende!

This was pretty vibey and cool

I thought it was a great album with a nice vibe throughout.

Good fun.

this is very good old hip hop

Pretty good trip-hop. Reminds me a little bit of Massive Attack's "Blue Lines," although I thought that one managed the style better.

3.5 :p

That was the album I needed today.

this was such a cool mix of 80s hip hop and electronic music gr8 job

Really liked this 90s electronic sound.

Well, this was an unexpected find. I loved it.

Fun

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

terribly unremarkable but i wouldnt complain about it

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

3.75

Not awful or annoying, but not memorable either.

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

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

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.

ten cuidado, es un criminal

ok

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

Not my thing but I didn't hate it.

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

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.

3.4 1x Marta to airport (Tampa trip)

fine!

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.

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.

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

75

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.

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?

6/10… 90s dance / electronica / *1992

It’s a vibe

Never listened. Expectations: None - Verdict: Good - This opening is quite funky. Definitely good vibes here, a very summery sound. I wish there was a bit more variation. The title track, Fade Away and Pressure are probably my highlights. A nice listen.

Quite fun, if forgettable. I think I might have got more into this if I came at it fresh instead of on the train home after a tiring day, but them's the breaks.

It was fresh, but without a long shelf life.

är det här cool musik

Får flashback till balla tv-inslag på 90-talet om rave, backpacking, cigaretter och erasmus. Lite G. Love - vibbar fast bättre pga ej jänkare?

Yet another entry on this list whose success you just cannot predict. This album has all the makings of something bad: released between 1992 and 1995 (one of the absolute worst periods of modern music), created by an electronic artist, terrible artwork that comes across as faux-Sgt. Pepper... And on paper, the music isn't exactly awe-inspiring. It uses that messy old-timey production on the drums that really tosses away the huge advances in music production from the 60s and 70s. The music also repeats itself quite a lot, never quite straying from the musical idea at the beginning of each song. And yet there's something unexpectedly catchy happening here. Step It Up should by no means be as good as it is. But there you go. Is this another one-hit-wonder band that weaseled its way into the list for exactly that reason? ...Yes, it definitely is. To be fair, the hit in question (Connected) is genuinely really good. It reads like a never-ending stream of hooks on various instruments, designed to harness your attention and keep it cemented for five blissful minutes. The vocals – both lead and backing – are nothing particularly special, but they're also perfect for the music. One thing I could see becoming an issue is the rose-coloured, disco-coloured goggles. The disco-retrospect meshes weirdly with the golden-age-hip-hop percussion beat. Not sure if I'm a fan. By the time we reach track 2, Ground Level, it becomes obvious that Stereo MC will commit wholeheartedly to this style. The song Everything has a cool bassline and flute(?)line. It isn't anything special, but it works pretty well. And Sketch is essentially the same, but without the flutes. The next really strong track comes in the form of Step It Up, which includes that great "yeah, yeah, yeah" hook and exceptionally funky backing instrumental. The song preceding it (All Night Long), though, is kind of bad. 3/5 Key tracks: Connected, Everything, Step It Up

I liked the elements of the bad but not really the lyrical content. I just couldn’t connect with it

Starts off quite good but is extremely samey

oh old times, bissi poppig? c

3.5

This is about as 3 as they come. Absolutely fine, happy enough to have it on but I will never revisit.

Proper 90's stuff this.

I’m always wary when the album Wikipedia is brief, but hey, I recognized the opening song right away! The lyrics throughout were a bit political and overall this was okay background music, but not something I’d seek out or listen to again.

This was a fun listen. Very early 90’s pop English house music. Connected and Step It Up are the standouts.

It was not bad, but repetitive sounding.

While it is repetitive, it is very chill and simple

Better than I thought it would be. If this was about 20 minutes shorter it would probably get a 4. But it wasn't.

Upbeat, reasonably catchy, you’ve heard Connected before. But why oh why is it 57 minutes long?

It’s fine - I’m not really into this type of music though, but there is an old school charm on here, that I can appreciate

Honestly not bad, some catchy stuff here and there. But does not need to be that long.

Spring, Easter, baseball, flowers, rain.

Leuk funky

Lyden af DRs programmer. Jeg hyggede mig fint, men er ikke nysgerrig på mere.

sounds very early 90s but i kinda liked it for a laid back sunday

Best Song: Ground Level. Love the use of a whistle as accompaniment. Worst Song: All Night Long. Way too long of a song for something this simple and repetitive. I wonder why the artists thought to end at 4:07, when they just as easily could have ended after 2:00 or 6:00, given that the song had already long since made its point. Overall: I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. It somehow sounded far fresher than its 1992 release date would suggest. A great album for a sort of background groove.

The singer dude may look like he steals copper from AC Units, but this album is pretty solid.

i like it but it kinda sounds like peep show jez music

One hit "Connected".

This was good, nothing particularly gripping about it but enjoyable enough and good for some light grooving.

I had never heard of this before but was pleasantly surprised. Favorites were connected and sketch. Also appreciate the last song being called the end because I was waiting for the album to end

Connected is pretty catchy and I recognized it from before. The rest is ok, nice enough but not worthy of this list. 3* Highlights: connected

It was fine.

Though the is still some fun to be had, the general sounds of this album feel incredibly dated

Better than i thought tbh

Fine for the background.

142/1001 First listen. Not my kinda thing but this was enjoyable and there was a good variety of things going on. Better than a lot of other crap I’ve been getting from this list. I don’t know when I would listen to this again but I will rate it as such. 5/10

I would definitely listen to it with serenity while I'm playing GTA. But this album seems senseless in this list. IDK. (It's not bad)

The top hits were played too often.

Good dance music

Jamiroquai pero peor

It came and it went. I love this type of stuff usually, but this album just didn't do it for me. Gave it two listens, but nothing stuck Favorite Songs: Fade Away

Music for a driving through LA montage in a 90s movie

Good, but completely unremarkable.

One of the more enjoyable albums of this type that we’ve had but still not for me. High 3.

Fine but inessential. Maybe more essential if you are British?

I think I may just be a sucker for some of these Electronic albums because I can totally understand why some of y'all would think this is super formulaic and repetitive. Yes this album is a bit cheesy but its' style of Alternative Dance is honestly quite catchy and accessible for people who may not be as experienced or open to a genre like this. I am not going to sit here and say this is anything close to a masterpiece, because it just isn't, but when it comes to "stepping stone" albums I think this is a pretty solid one all things considered. I also want to preface and say I very much agree with the claims of this album being repetitive but I don't think it is to a degree where it holds the music back from being seen as "good." It is a stupidly simple and straightforward project that I really can't see as anything more than that. All that matters is that I liked it, but probably won't ever listen again....

Fun record although generally not my style.

Better than I thought it would be. I knew the one hit song from the radio. Not really my thing, but not horrible either.

Some good songs but quite samey

Starts with such a classic song (and includes a few other) but it's tough to disconnect that for the whole album. It's good if so dated.

Don't mind it. Minus a star for apostrophe misuse.

I enjoyed this much more than I thought. In a jamiroquai kind of enjoyment. It just passed me by. Good background music.

Fun album that kinda represents a trivial, happy part of the 90s - the electronics I found really listenworthy!

Very enjoyable album. Soulful, funky, dance rock mixed with hip-hop. Really easy to listen to. Reminds me a lot of Happy Mondays, who are one of my favorite discoveries from this list. I’d happily play this one again. 3.5

Pretty nice sounding early 90's hip hop sound. There's a few songs that have a good groove and actually kind of slap (I really liked "Fade Away"), and the main vocalist's accent really fits nicely in this sound. It's a good 3/5 for me. Not too bad but not too great. I didn't read anything about this record so I might be missing some influential element here.

This felt similar in genre to several of the weird electronica albums this keeps generating in a row, but a little better. I liked the first track and the rest was mostly forgettable

Hay algo aquí

I enjoyed this for what it is, a nice souvenir of early 90s pop-funk. But I was definitely left with a strange taste in my mouth, affirmed after reading the reviews -- this is hip-hop for people who "don't usually like hip-hop," which gives me an unshakable ick.

I connect with this.

Well, was not expecting to see this on here. Maybe I’m getting mixed up with someone else, but instantly recognise ‘Connected’. It is SO 90s 😂 It is so quintessential Madchester, 90s dance scene and would probably be very nostalgic if I had lived through that, but otherwise a pleasant enough listen and didn’t realise ‘Step it Up’ was them. Enjoyed (3.5)

Some highs n lows, had to download it so I could listen to it on the plane lol. I will probably be undownloading it very soon. The songs without vocals were highlights lol.

Fairly fun, very typical 90s album. Rides off the one hit wonder at the start, but some other decent songs on here. Fairly background for me though.

An example of don't judge an album by its cover or most popular song. The hit song from this album is a classic early 90s jam, but I enjoyed most of the rest of the album way more. I was all set to think it was meh, but ended up really liking it.

This was fine enough, but pretty unremarkable and I definitely could have died without having heard this.

Inoffensive enough. Mostly the same song ad nauseam

Great headline singles from this album. The rest, like this review, are a little perfunctory.

some decent tunes, nothing to write home about though

Really not bad, one of the few early hiphop albums of this list that I like.

Definitely wanna give this a second listen

Just an avarage album in my opinion

Not my thing, didn't stir me either way, was ok.

I recognized that first song! Very early 90's white English funk pop. Not horrendous.

Far better than I thought it would be. Definitely shouldn't be on this list but it's quite all right nevertheless.

Alright, didn't finish it all though.

delightful!

Funky hip hop album that had me nodding my head. It is a bit too long and gets a tad repetitive but I did fairly enjoy it Standout Songs: Connected Everything Fade Away Step It Up The End

The two hit singles are great. The rest is listenable but forgettable.

Hasn't aged as terribly as I imagined. Grand old album after all.

Enjoyed it

This was an enjoyable listen grooves n rhythms thru out. Other than pop music and hair metal my knowledge of 80s music is limited particularly from England. Another group to delve into further from across the h e pond.

It was okay, it sounds fine for most of the album but it feels samey and is ten or so minutes too long.

90s goodness 3/5

groovy tracks, not too bad

there are some pretty solid beats here but the rap performances here are pretty laughable at times.

Iconic opener. Chill upbeat background music besides.

Enjoyable early 90's party/dance hip hop. I have a soft spot for this time period and the music of it. I enjoy that you can still hear some 80's conventions as the new style shines through. I don't think I'd come back to Stereo MC's, and I can't speak to how essential it is, but it's certainly enjoyable.

Good 90’s vibes with the bongos! It gives Sopranos theme song sounds.. this would be great dinner party music because it’s just got a good baseline and just enough pop to groove to

Kinda torn between a 3 and 4. I think it's a very good three but not quite a four for me.

Another 90’s album I’ve never owned but seem to know very well from parties and friends houses back then. I’m rather a sucker for that sound. This is risk adverse funky dance music. Not sure why anyone who wasn’t nostalgic for the sound of 90’s UK would play this more than once. Pleasant though.

So very, very 90s. It gets a 3 because I knew so many of these songs without ever hearing the name "Stereo MC's".

It's fine. the song Connected was a bit of a bop back in the day, but the rest of the album kind of just sounds the same. It's jaunty. It's fine.

I don’t feel any particular way about this album. It was sort of just there for me. I used it as background noise to get my work done.

Good bit of teenage nostalgia. Step it Up and Connected are good tunes. The rest not up to much. I join others in querying why the album is on the list though. Not sure many people have listened to it much since 1993, nor is there any reason to do so.

On to the 90s. The title track here was apparently written with the Rodney King riots in mind, which generates a web of places and faces. The tensions of 'connected'-ness and disconnect, awareness and ignorance, are obviously no less relevant today: "Get yourself connected... / But if you're minds neglected / Stumble, you might fall." However, this album feels less about heavy-handed social commentary than fun, funk, and dance. Most songs proceed at a similar rollicking tempo, with the formulaic dance beat dunh-dunh chi, duh-dunh-dunh chi--punctuated by those fantastic bari sax licks. Overall, it's a pleasantly receding vibe; you're at a early 90s dance night at the club or at the roller-skating rink. I enjoyed 'Pressure.' 3 stars.

I enjoyed this more than I expected. 3.5. Dance music typically doesn't rate well in our group, and maybe in general on this site, because it doesn't seem to age well tor a genre that emphasizes the evolution and tech advancements in DJing as these advancements are pretty transient and become outdated quickly. However, I like these albums because it makes me nostalgic in a subculture/phenomena that I was too young for - the club scene in the 90s where social media didn't exist. Where the youth would just get lost in the beat and dance into the morning. Before rave/club scene, where DJs could simply push buttons to get their setlist going.

I feel like I don't like this sound, but also I never was ready to throw in the towel. So 3?

Solid 90s hip Hop from the UK, but I miss a bit exciting elements. It's just too intrusive if you will.

Smooth and listenable. I enjoyed it while it played. I can't remember much about any particular song. The groove is fine. Doubt I would revisit.

Surprised to discover that I actually knew this one reasonably well. Still didn’t like it much

Not much to say other than that I really went for it at it's time while it hasn't aged too well. Still, neatly done...

Maybe groundbreaking back in the day, but a bit repetitive. A couple of quality tracks though.

Had never heard anything but Connected, but I like the rest. A period piece sound-wise, but in a good way.

I have not listened to much Stereo MCs, but I did recognize Connected and Step It Up immediately. Both are good songs. About 2/3's of the way through the sameness going on here started to get a little boring. Overall I liked this album, but it probably would not be my first choice for trip hop/dance/house/whatever music.

# Playlist Track - Connected # Notes - I thought this was going to be worse, to be honest. It's all super cheesy, and weird and it tries to hard to be cool. But it's got some 90's to it. Not the best parts of the nineties. Not the worst, too. - A decent listen, all things considered. Didn't annoy too much, and I can't really ask for more than that.

Nice background music. 3

ok. not my thing. Okay for background music on low volume

much more “hip-hop” than rap in the classic sense. lots of singing and even some almost instrumental tracks. pretty cool!!

Álbum bem divertido! Curti a experiência. TRI x HBB Kai.

I liked listening to this. Some of the songs reminded me of Beck. Favorite songs were Fade Away, Step It Up, and Creation.

Some the these rhymes are pretty whack, but loved the vibe and the beats

Perfect record to listen to on a Friday afternoon.

I didn't think I was familiar with this group, but about 10 seconds into the first song and I was proven wrong. There's a couple of tracks which were ubiquitous in the UK at the time, so I enjoyed a bit of nostalgia there. The album is rather samey, though, so it does wear thin. However, it's decent.

This one sits squarely in the “solid background groove” category for me. Connected opens with its strongest hand: the title track, which is instantly recognizable and still ridiculously fun. That first hit sets expectations for a certain kind of ’90s UK trip-hop/breakbeat experience, and the rest of the album mostly delivers that… just without ever climbing to the same height again. There’s a clear musical lineage here that overlaps with what Gorillaz pulled off a decade later. You get the same blend of hip-hop, dance beats, dub-ish bass lines, and laid-back spoken vocals. The difference is that Gorillaz sharpened it into something more hooky and atmospheric, while Stereo MC’s stay closer to their acid-jazz/club roots. It’s eclectic, it’s loose, and it’s almost always groove-first. As background music? Totally enjoyable. It keeps a vibe going without asking much of you. As an album I’d deliberately sit with? Probably not. Nothing is outright bad, but very little reaches beyond “cool track, nice beat.” A good listen, not an essential one. Solid 3.

Pretty good

OK

I liked it!!

its ok

J’ai bien aimé, mais sans plus.

I enjoyed this far more than I should have. Reminded me of Happy Mondays.

Not bad, one banger song and the rest was good.

Sounds like the kind of music that'd play in a therapist's office lobby, but good. It's still really hard to really tune into and give any kind of opinion on. Nice and relaxing, but not a whole lot past that.

Pretty cool, a little unnoteworthy

I know of these guys but not sure if I really have listened to very much of their stuff if anything. I do know this first track "connected". Pretty chill. I dig it.

3,3/5

Nice

Started out kind of enjoying this. Got a little catchy pep to it. A few songs in, everything blends together and it's just one long song.

6/10

This is a fun enough album, and it makes for great background music while doing artistic work. It probably just eases into 5-star territory. Favorite track: likely "Everything"

This was fun, vibey, elevator-ish music that made me do a weird tiptoe around my kitchen while cooking. Strong start, but all kind of blended together for me by the end. Probably wouldn’t listen again but did save Ground Level

Quite funky. I wouldn't mind if more HipHop was like this.

I really like the bas and the voices. Its very chill

It seems like pretty generic 90's dance. It was ok. Not something I would choose again.

The title track is still great. Honestly, it’s catchy af. But the rest is pretty ordinary.

I knew “Connected”, but the rest was brand new to me. “All Night Long” and “Playing With Fire” stand out. They feel like The Rolling Stones to me at times?

I was prepared to hate this, but I didn’t. There’s way too much British electronica on this list, but this wasn’t bad. It wasn’t great either and probably doesn’t need to be on this list, but it was enjoyable enough for the hour I listened to it.

Found myself enjoying this more than expected. Good rhythms and pretty fun. Not sure if its something I'll return to, but it was worth the listen. 3.5/5

Super average hip hop.

The titular track and 'Step it Up' are peak baggy dance. The groove, vocal hooks and funky bass are top-notch. Timeless classics. Surely the album cannot replicate such excellence? And surely it doesn't. But by golly, it comes pretty close at times. I naively assumed this would be an album of two good singles and not much else. It is an excellently executed fusion of early 90s UK styles, of that there's no doubt. It is most definitely a good album. It is arguably an excellent album. It tiptoes the 3/4 rating. A strong start does yield to a more nebulous 90s groove by the end of the album; and as a result I award this the highest of 'goods'.

Connected 3.4 Ground Level 3.3 Everything 3.4 Sketch 3.5 Fade Away 3.1 All Night Long 3.3 Step It Up 3.5 Playing With Fire 3.4 Pressure 3.2 Chicken Shake 3 Creation 3.2 Don't Let Up 3 The End 3.1 Score: 3.261538462

Decent 90s dance album with hip hop influences. High energy and very dated, but quite enjoyable to listen to while doing any activity.

this feels like something i should hate. it is very 90's in feel with a hip hop style back beats, jazz samples, trippy electronics and blends of reggae, pop, world music and rapping. it is very infectious/generally nice sounding.

Grúví hipp tripp hopp og gott stuð. Soldið svipað allt samt.

Однообразно, но в принципе слушать можно изредка для разнообразия. 5,5 из 10.

Went to check how many songs I had left in the album only to find that I was in the middle of the first song again. Decent as background music, but it is all just the same thing.

Felt very 90s Smash Mouth.

Starts off really great but halfway through and the end it gets a bit repetitive. Far too long of an album. Stand out song - connected

Lyrics are whatever but the music is really fun to bop to

Con los Stereo MCs me pasa algo similar a M People e incluso Morcheeba, que hicieron canciones bailables y de gran calidad pero que no les da para un disco completo y además con el tiempo hay una enorme diferencia entre sus mejores temas y el resto. Sin duda este es su mejor álbum y se escucha de maravilla pero Conection es un trallazo imparable y el resto no. Sketch tiene mucho flow y ambiente dance del bueno pero carece de la magia de Conection.

First of all, on Apple Music, the title track is unavailable with this album. There are other versions on different records, so this can be circumvented. Probably some licensing problem. Nevertheless, a somewhat nice album, albeit a bit dated IMO. Connected and Step It Up are the obvious bangers here, the rest is not bad, but nothing outstanding.

The singles are the obvious standouts but better than I thought as a whole album

A nice little nostalgia trip for this one, and I instantly recognised the hits. It does feel very dated, but also has a great vibe. Sort of a light version of Happy Mondays, but suffered from all the songs sounding the same.

Vibes tbf, but it all sounds the same

CLASSIC. the most "soundtrack" esk album to my early childhood.

5/10 Solid three star album. Fine, inoffensive and slightly nostalgic but totally non-essential

Connected + 11 other songs that sound identical to Connected but less good

3.5

Il mio è un 3 falsato perché non l’ho sentito tutto però non mi stava dispiacendo. Non posso aggiungere altre info

Mi sono piaciute le canzoni che non erano considerate hit.

3 great tracks but the rest felt a bit samey to me. Won’t come back to listen again.

It was super funky. I would've given it 4 stars, but it overstayed it's welcome by a good 15-ish minutes, and in the end I got very bored of it, as most of the songs sounded so similar. The sound was very good, but it just got way too much.

Good background album. Kinda boring after a while but still cool, I was vibing.

Pretty middle of the road hip hop / electronic album. Cool samples and what not but again, i don't see this album being something I'd of have to listen to. Not as good as Nas' Illmatic.

It's got all of the elements of a great electronic rap album, but the vocals are so underwhelming. It's missing the energy that the sampling delivers. Had the potential to be great, but slips into good obscurity.

Another group I'm not that familiar with, but their sound is certainly familiar to that of Primal Scream and Happy Mondays. It goes without saying that Stereo MC's were another British act capitalising on the emerging electronic/rave scene coming out of the region at the turn of the 90s. 'Connected', the group's 1992 effort, appears to be the only real success story for Stereo MC's, as they have stayed largely out of the mainstream consciousness ever since. But the collage of random images surrounding the group on the album cover, including mushrooms, flowers, plants, erupting volcanos and space, is a great reflection of the music on this album, which pairs hip hop with dance, electronica and house music. The mission statement for 'Connected' is simple: a record full of trippy, party-worthy anthems destined to get the house kids jumping well into the night. The hip hop sound is incorporated rather well here [especially on 'Everything' and 'Sketch'], as are the obvious house inflections ['Connected', 'Fade Away']. I also appreciate how ahead of its time this album sounds, as it seems more like a 2000s record than one released in 1992. The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers and Aphex Twin weren't even big yet, which is important to consider contextually when discussing 'Connected'. 'Connected' is rather effective mood music designed for those 'chill vibes'. It's easy to have on in the background and doesn't require a great deal of concentration to appreciate. It's just an enjoyable set of relaxed grooves to help you tune out. A nice surprise, given the relatively low profile of the group. Best songs: 'Everything', 'Connected', 'Fade Away'

Favorite Track: Creation

La première toune est archi-connue et toujours aussi bonne (la ligne de basse est vraiment massive !). On peut dire qu’ils l’ont vraiment sortie du stade, cette toune là. Reste à savoir si le reste de l’album est à la hauteur... J’en suis à la moitié de l’album et, malgré que c’est de la bonne musique, ils n’ont pas encore réussi à reproduire l’énergie de Connected. Mais, est-ce vraiment nécessaire ? Les pièces sont variées, leur son a de la personnalité. Ce n’est pas un cas de "one-hit wonder", loin de là. En avant vers la deuxième moitié ! Oh ! Un deuxième hit ! Je ne savais pas que c’était une de leurs tounes, Step It Up. Très bon. Bon, dernière toune. La deuxième moitié est du même acabit que la première. C’est un bon album, juste pas pour moi.

Nice to have like, pop again after a long streak of not having it.

Ciekawe, takie 3/5. Mogłoby lecieć w tle w jakimś GTA.

6.5/10

Fun, chill, and can dance to all at the same time. A solid electric dance/hip hop album from 90s England I assume.

Maybe it's because this is the second straight day I've generated an electronica album littered with samples, but this was just mediocre for me, and certainly went on too long. Favorite Track: "Connected".

Ok. ★★★

Dance Music I can ken. Eats EDM for breakfast.