Connected

A genuinely good hip-hop mix album. It's relaxing ear candy that I'd listen to on a walk through the park. I love the vibes, definitely going to try and get this on vinyl if I can find it. 8/10

Shouldn't be in this list. Might have been on in the 90s but has not agreed well.

The rest of the songs didn't put up with the first but they definitely continued the album's depth and feel. I love how each song felt different but still kept up with the album's hip hop dreamy vibe. 8/10. Favorite Song: Connected

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.

No thank you

Despite what the album cover promised, it wasn't too bad.

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.

Connected is one of THE songs that always played in the clubs at that time, it pulled everyone to the floor. Rest of the album is filled with some great beats.

It was fresh, but without a long shelf life.

Bem nada a ver. Conhecia a primeira música Muito usada em ads

Why?

Me: So then, random album generator. What special album have you got for me having reached landmark album #100? 1001: Well done! Time to get your ears around Connected by Stereo MCs! Me: Interesting! I loved Step It Up at the time, and Connected has a great 90s groove. However, now I'm listening to it, I'm concerned! After the opening Connected, there are a lot of beige tracks such as Ground Level and Everything. The highlight of All Night Long is the long period of silence in the middle, with the low point coming when you realise the song hasn't finished! The second half of the album is better than the first half, but that's not a huge achievement. Pressure and Creation are both solid foot tappers, but I expect more than this from a list of albums that I Must listen to. 2 stars, and try harder next time! 1001: Sorry. 😢. I'll try harder for album 200.

About as 90s as it gets. Some stone cold bangers in this album, overall and enjoyable listen.

really cool album

A very corny and empty album. Not really terrible but completely asinine.

Starter pack 90's band

Ett sånt album som jag börjar digga till lite ironiskt, innan ironin gradvis försvinner helt och jag bara älskar allt med det. Stark fyra!

Nä. Pallar inte 1001 mediokra brittiska album från 90-talet som man absolut hade kunnat dö utan att ha hört. Connected är väl helt ok, men i övrigt har jag haft tråkigt med den här skivan.

Nääää

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

A lovely bit of early 90s nostalgia. Despite every song having the same feel some are clearly stronger than others.

oh old times, bissi poppig? c

Fashionably unfashionable in a post-Madchester haze, this Brit crew rides the tail end of the baggy train with a funky swagger that’s more endurance test than ecstatic groove. They spread 70-plus minutes of well-meaning, occasionally catchy hip-hop-house fusion that might’ve felt fresher a few years earlier—or trimmed down to a lean 35. "Connected" is the jam that justifies the price of admission, and "Step It Up" earns its keep with punchy horns and a touch of uplift. But like Deee-Lite without the cosmic kitsch, they stretch one good idea into a dozen pleasant-but-pale variations. "Sketch" even photocopies their own hook, just subtler and less fun.

Poor memories of this, singles aside. Will give it a try Absolute muck

Generic 90s band. Just ok

At this point, I'm convinced that every album that features a song from the soundtrack of the 1995 classic film Hackers is in this book.

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.

Neutral with lot of boring parts. Did not touched me at all.

I think I liked this more than I anticipated. I expected some goofy UK hiphop of some sorts, but this turned out to be a pretty fun dance album. The hiphop aspects certainly are here as I can easily imagine someone rapping over most of these beats. The beats are groovy and bouncy and pretty easy to listen to. There are some great standouts, such as the opener, "Step It Up", and "Creation". The other songs all sound pretty similar. That, together with the runtime, are the main drawbacks for me. Still, enjoyed this album quite a bit, and it turned out to be good music to study to. I would say this is 3.5 stars, but I'll round up this time.

5/5, wow, this was a surprise for me. I wasn't expecting much from this album but it's supremely good. It's got this perfect mix of experimentation and listenability going for it; lots of electronica tends to be self-indulgent and sticks on a good beat or hook for way too long, but this album spent just the right amount of time with each song and piece — long enough to be enjoyable, and short enough to make you miss it once it's gone. It's groovy as hell and has some fantastic hooks. Everything is so solid. The singing, the rapping, the sampling, it's just on point. I may be calling the game too early for the genre at this time period, but this album feels like the one to grade all others in its genre/time by. A joy to listen to.

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.

Rad

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

I like this type of Alternative Rock and Dance Music combo, but I don't think Stereo MC's are among the best acts to do it. Still, it's not terrible a makes for acceptable background music. Key tracks: Connected

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.

90's one hit wonder. it all sounds the same. 2.5 stars

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

Album 141. Connected — Stereo MC's (1992) aaaahhh, I'm tired of getting bad albums. It's tedious electronic music from 90-s, don't understand why it's on the list. 1/5 No liked songs

Colorful and almost fun to listen to, but it’s too long and wears itself out. Broad in the scope of the genres and sounds it touches which results in a kind of unfocused album. It’s also pretty dated in a way that’s difficult for me to ignore. I also did not find Rob B.’s performance on the mic all that compelling or charismatic, which is pretty critical for this kind of music in my opinion. Another one where I perhaps too American to enjoy this. I felt worn out by the halfway point. The mixing holds up.

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.

Det var faktisk langt sjovere og mere funky end jeg havde forventet.

Yes yes yes....I m quiet now....top

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.

awful.

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.

Yeah, cool, loved this album. It captures a particular 90s sound, one that I sometimes forget existed! Surprisingly atmospheric and definitely one that was made for the headphones. I’ll be coming back to Connected for sure!

Connected is an A+ song, although I remembered it being faster? Good sinister vibes throughout this It is a very specific vibe and the first few songs I was worried it would all end up being too similar but I was loving it by the end. Fun!

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

Enjoyed. Great listen at work

I enjoyed this, but I bit long. Great bass lines, groovy all the way through

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.

The title track instantly transports the listener back to the time it was released, and yet still feels so modern.

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.

Ok so it had the one song??? I don't know who this is impressing

Great beat, easy to understand lyrics. Very enjoyable.

Just enough funk to make this timeless.

Really not very good. Wouldn't listen again

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

mi piace un botto! verso la fine magari un po’ stessa solfa

this did not need to be on here…

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

2/10

Saying the album is worth listening to is a stretch but the singles from this album are bangers making it a very hard thing to rate really feels in-between a 2 and 3 for me.

Jamiroquai pero peor

Overall: 7/10 This is the most 90s thing I've ever heard in my life. Genuinely can't imagine it being made at any other point in time. It's kind of dumb but I also really enjoyed my time with it. I'm not even sure how to describe how I feel about it. The vocals fit with the beats so good and it tickles my brain in a way I've never experienced. Fav Song: Fade Away

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

De pana a veces me preguntó cuáles son los requisitos para entrar en esta lista de 1001. O es el álbum de country más x posible, o es un álbum como este que tú dices, pero cómo llego esto aquí

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

In the realm of hip-hop it was pretty listenable, but still not something I'd leave playing if I had the option to turn it off. Occasional background singer parts broke the monotony of the drum+bass. Didn't do much for me.

Super cool album. If a 4.5 existed this would be it. But for now it is a 4.

Good, but completely unremarkable.

Super fun and easy to get into.

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

Always liked this album. Very rhythmic and "dancey" while still have a rock feel. Vocals are well done with very good background parts.

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.

This album is a vibe. I really enjoyed it. Like other listeners I'm not sure why I enjoyed it, but enjoy it I did.

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

Some of this is kess annoying than the rest - rather musical, yet still rap in the end.

A few good party songs here and there. Not a great album.

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.

I like the funky and upbeat atmosphere.

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

proper early 90's vibes here- always enjoyed it, struggle to pocket them into a genre which isn't a bad thing but I guess I'd mark them down as a electronic hippy hip hop genre.

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

Not my thing

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

Now this was a pleasant album - standout was Connected.

Hay algo aquí

Fresh enough.

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.

Very british (derogatory)

p695. 1992. 2 stars Classy early Brit rap/house music, let down by filler and lack of variety. Most of the songs sound the same.

Certainly of its day, but quite enjoyable. High 2s. Opening track is seminal.

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)

Funny, bouncy kinda bongos and flutey boppy funk groovacious sound. I'm kinda intrigued, kinda not interested, kinda 3, give it another listen down the line. Edit one week later: yup, another listen, it's odd that there's so little edge but I'm loving the very laid back groove. Bumping it up 1.

Callie approved! She immediately danced around the living room to Connected. The album art Is fun I’d love to see it on something larger than a phone screen to fully figure out what’s going on.

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.

Great groovy vibes this Monday afternoon.

This is pretty good, but I wouldn't call any of it revolutionary. Still, enjoyed it pretty well.

What a fun listen, a bunch of well constructed loops and grooves back to back with hip hop, dance, and funk elements. There's always a great baseline pulling you through each track, and loved the delivery and rhythm of the vocals even if I didn't really connect much with the actual lyrics The sort of record you will know immediately if you'll love or hate it from the first track Fav Track 3 - Everything Best Three Track run: 1, 2, 3

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.

1. connected - 3.5 2. level - 2.5 3. everything - 1.5 4. zketch - 2 5. fade - 1.5 6. night - 1.5 7. ztep - 1.5 8. fire - 1 9. prezzure - 1.5 10. zhake - 1.5 11. creation - 1 12. end - 1.5

Not keen. Never have been. Mild funky hip hop by numbers. File with Faithless. Mild dance music by numbers.

Inoffensive enough. Mostly the same song ad nauseam

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

Stereo MC’s were never the most experimental or lyrically demanding of groups, but I’d absolutely forgotten how much fun they were to listen to! I absolutely loved revisiting this, it was fun fun fun and took me back to a simpler time, with fewer cares. A fab sound system redux.

One of the soundtracks to my youth. Smoking hash and driving around in my white Astra with this on cassette. Also saw them live a couple of years ago and they were superb. Love Stereo MCs

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.

I really enjoyed it from start to finish, great dynamic. There is this heavy british culture code in the way this album is made, something between britpop, acid-house and techno. Very stylish, amazing effortless flow, cool instrumental and vocal support. No skips, all honest bangers.

This low rent version on the Gorillaz was as boring as it was unoriginal. Easily skip this for those who did it better.

Definitely wanna give this a second listen

The opening track is a jam, and there's scattered tasty 90s moments, but too much of this bloated album sounds dated

I quite enjoyed the rather laid back nature of this. My sort of hip hop Some of the rhymes were a little cringe, but not bad for a morning commute in the dark.

Meh

Just an avarage album in my opinion

Now this is uber nostalgic! Don't think I've ever listened to Connected/Step It Up without it being in film or radio. Other songs are quite generic.

Nah

DATED AF The MC in this group just made me think of this the entire time: "Me and me blokes got some chips and biscuits for brekkie, innit???" When you make your music this many genres happening all at once, the music takes on a swampy, very forgettable quality it never quite surpasses.

Mwah niet slecht maar niet echt boeiend

Dull, largely uninspiring set of songs from an early 90s fallow period in British music. Connected and Step it Up narrowly rise above the level of mediocrity, but it’s all largely forgettable. Too ‘cool’ for its own good and lacking any passion.

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.

Groovy

• I jumped into this album immediately after finishing Play by Moby, and wow do these albums compliment each other well • Ground Level is a very catchy song, I like the hook a lot • Everything is great, I really like the percussion and the rap is very good • Step It Up is another standout song, but honestly all of the songs (maybe bar All Night Long) have been great so far. Everything's been really catchy and the backing instrumentals are all really high energy This album was really fun to listen to, I think the only songs I didn't particularly care for were All Night Long and Pressure. Everything else was consistently very good. Favourite song: Everything

Primitive rapping ability over somewhat interesting beats. Not sure why it’s here

I’m curious how some of these albums make it on this list of 1,001 Albums to listen to before you die. Why THIS album and not another one? This wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever heard..I didn’t feel the urge to skip ahead. I guess thats saying something. But I don’t feel the need to listen to this album again.

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

This is so late 80s early 90s sounding it’s crazy. It’s almost easy listening with beats. You’ve got your British guy sing-rapping over various harmless beats and melodies. No abrasive sounds in the whole thing. I don’t hate it. It’s done background music. But not a lot interesting going on with the possible exception of the title track.

All night long was kinda cool. I like how bass forward this album is. Aside from that these guys had one song idea and repeated it ad nauseum. It’s just a break beat, a bass line, a non-catchy hook, and a guy “rapping”. Seriously for a group called Stereo MCs the rapping on this is atrocious if you can call it rapping, it’s more like talking with some end rhymes.

Alright, didn't finish it all though.

Ough

Pretty cool 90s album

british hop hop...interesting? i don't really like it. very 90s though lol

delightful!

Hmm, mislim, da vem kaj bo to. O ja, od nekje poznam komad "Connected". Ta je čist kul. Zelo of the time and place (early 90s Britain). Je pa 5 minut mal dolga za komad k je cel cajt eno in isto. In za vse komade, ki sledijo. Nekak forgettable, en tip kinda rappa, uzad ena ženska zapoje vsake tolk, muska je v vsakem komadu throughout the song ista cel cajt, ni neke blazne variacije, velik ponavljanja refrena. Naslovnica je bl zanimiva k sam album.

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.

One 5 star song and a lot of filler

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.

Connected - 3/5 Ground Level - 3/5 Everything - 1/5 Sketch - 2/5 Fade Away - 2/5 All Night Long - 1/5 Step It Up - 3/5 Playing With Fire - 4/5 Pressure - 2/5 Chicken Shake - 3/5 Creation - 4/5 The End - 3/5 Average score: 2.6/5 ⭐️⭐️ not quite my tempo. it picked up some steam toward the last half though, which i can appreciate

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

Of all the forgettable albums I’ll listen to for this list, I hope I forget this one the most.

Litt kjedelig i lengden.

It does what it does pretty well, which is supply danceable, mindless beats. This is much more suitable for a 90-themed dance club than active listening. While some of the songs are catchy they are lacking in substance (both lyrically and musically), and the production style, background sound effects and synths, and rapping make it very dated. I feel like they were trying very hard to be cool and trendy, rather than trying to break ground. And that’s ok, but it doesn’t make for essential listening. I assume its inclusion on the list reflects the author’s bias toward pop from the UK. 2.5 stars, rounding down.

Dance/rap/electronic group. Not bad music. Good sound. Even rap is old school. Nice.

There's nothing offensive about this. I admire how unapologetically English it is. Most songs are decent, but go on for far too long. You know what you are getting with this within the first handful of tracks. 'Everything' picks up the pace. You can tell that 'Creation' is going to be a single as soon as you hear it. This might have felt fresh in 1992, but it feels incredibly dated now. I imagine it would have felt dated within a decade of releasing. I'm not sure why this is on the list.

Dance and dancing to it! I have nothing to say to people who don't like this album

90s goodness 3/5

-…yeah, this one was a bit of a nothingburger for me. all the songs blended together but not in a good way, i honestly can’t remember a single sound from here. just hype moments and aura ig -Creation was pretty good from what i remember. there is a silver lining here but yeah, not for me i suppose -Favorites: Ground Level, Creation

this album came to me at a perfect time. as i am obsessed with electronic music fused with hip hop right now, this is such a vibe to listen to. i love the many tracks on this album and its unforgettable to listen to, so upbeat and i love the background vocals and also the rapping of course. massive attack is one of my favorite groups right now but stereo mcs may be up there now i am really interested to dive deeper into this group because it’s what i am looking for. my favorite track is chicken shake, the female vocalists is like soap to my ears if that makes sense. kind of off topic but the album cover is so cool to look at it resembles the album in its entirety. is this website stalking me or what??? anyway this is such a good summer night album, even a nice spring afternoon, drinking a cold sprite or something. i’ll give this a nice 8/10

*Nice mix of rapping and house music to keep it more interesting than just a long dance album *Loved the use of instrumentation mixed in

Mediocre

This definitely sucks

Connected definitely my favorite on the album, didn’t know much about Stereo MC’s before but enjoyed this album

The definition of meh

groovy tracks, not too bad

groovy!

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

Iconic opener. Chill upbeat background music besides.

Someone hand me a drink now

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.

If you were to distill the year 1992 british music scene into a single sound, it might just be this album. Connected is a quintessential 90s artifact, a mix of hip hop, electronic, and acid jazz that is undeniably groovy, though perhaps a bit trapped in its own era. It is mostly an alright album, it's a polished, feel good record that hits high highs with its singles "Connected" and "Step It Up" but struggles to justify its full runtime with its repetitive beats and loops, and laid back but mediocre rapping from the whitest rapper alive. It’s probably perfect for a retro dance party, a morning run, or nostalgic background listening, but doesn't offer any depth or variety required for a focused, front to back listening session.

I found myself REALLY enjoying this one. super fun

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

1/9/26. Interesting, feels like an accessible format for hip-hop for the time it came out. Enjoyable and inoffensive, but I think a bit forgetful.

The Stereo MCs will forever be linked to the movie Hackers to me. And that is greatness. What a great first track.

Other than the fact this is a British group (which, at times, seems to be enough to justify inclusion), I am not sure why this album is in the book. The songs don't overstay their welcome necessarily, but they take a longer time than I would like finally to say "goodbye." I have had "Connected" in my head for 30 years but had no idea who sang the song. Now I know to whom I can attribute the song that randomly pops up in my head. I feel like I should not enjoy this album. It's somewhat electronica and there is a white guy rapping socially conscious lyrics. I could have gone the rest of my life not hearing this album. I could not have gone all of my life not knowing who sang Connected though. I feel like this is mediocre music and yet I enjoyed it. It wasn't harsh on my ears and the length/repetitiveness of the songs did not bother me. My favorite tracks were: Connected Ground Level Sketch Step it Up Playing with Fire Creation

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.

Sorry but, easy listening radio rap is really not my thing...

Surprised by this album - initial impressions from the album art (I know, 'don't judge a book by its cover') left me assuming that this would be some generic 90s electro britslop but there's some really fun sound here. Not quite eurodance, but there's this brimming UK optimism to the sound that's very intoxicating. Not really brimming with tracks I'll remember by next week but this was worth the time. fav tracks: Connected, Step It Up, Pressure, Chicken Shake

Oh...kay?

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.

Meanwhile, in the UK. While most of the world was gobbling Seattle's knob, Stereo MCs were making dance music ahead of its time. Almost 35 years late this album sounds as fresh as it sounds timeless.

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.

Besides con ected everything was meh

Connected and Step It Up are good nostaligia trips although rest of the album is pretty unremarkable. I seem to remember the lead singer being a bit of a bell end but cannot remember why. Mystified why this on the list - what ground did it break? Who of todays artists owe their career to the Stereo MC's? Why not put the Venga Boyz on the list?

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?

Why does this sound like the most generic, inoffensive rap I've ever heard?

this reminded me of a David LaChapelle photo shoot

This just feels like the earlier part of the 90's, which I don't remember because I wasn't alive yet you old fucks

Liked it better than I thought I would

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.

No cuts on this album I particularly liked or disliked.

Inoffensive lobby music. Generic. Perhaps a victim of its commercial success. Not bad in any way, just not very exciting.

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

Stereo MCs sound like they took the sound of the Madchester scene and brought it to its obvious pop conclusions. Mixing elements of dance, electronic music, hip hop and rock, "Connected" is one of the lesser remembered 90s albums but still a great one. Both "Connected" and "Step It Up" remain perfect pop songs.

Didn't really care for it.

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.

Am I supposed to dance to this?

Solid and unexpected

Pretty fantastic album, and one I'd never even heard of. Great vibe, excellent compositions and beats.

When it's good, it's really good. When it's not good, it's rather cheesy and dated. Nostalgic, so gets a pass.

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

Another in a long series of albums that probably sounded great at raves in Manchester in the 90's but otherwise are not good. I'll give it 2 stars because none of the songs are egregiously long and it's almost Christmas, so I'm feeling generous.

Should’ve been called “connected and 13 other attempts at recreating connected”. Great song, average album.

Sometimes, the page refreshes and you can only think “WTF”. People were laughing at these one hit wonders 30 years ago and they don’t sound any better now.

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.

Electronic pop rap. That's three strikes from me.

There have been allot of albums with a one hit wonder on this list. this one was more : "i think i heard this? maybe on a commercial?" Not too bad but nothing special to me

Surprisingly pretty good.

2/5

This really doesnt belong in this list. Its ok and fun but just another album.

I’m not a big fan of dance music. I knew and like Connected, but I didn’t like anything else.

Nice background music. 3

I can do the side step to every song, and it's the 90s beat all the way..what's not to love.

This was fun. Starting with connected and setting a tone and mood and not losing it was nice. Short and sweet. I can understand how some may not be into this style and time in pop with being heavy with hip hop on top. Too me its Too Sexy and Connected but Connected a way more interesting and complex song than Fred’s jammer. So, if ya dig Connected like I do , then the this album will be great for you too.

First listen

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.

On the list because of the title track and Step It Up. 2 good songs, 2 Stars. It's just too long without enough to be worth listening to all the way through.

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

Badly dated dance hip hop fusion.

3.5

Nothink to remark. A decent Dance album. That's it.

dreary, mechanical

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

Hip hop is one of those genres that's pretty hard to fuse with others. Sometimes however, genre fusions with hip hop can actually be pulled off really well. Unfortunately, this is not one of those albums. It just feels like a pretty standard dance/electronic album that's generic as it is, but then with rapping in the mix just to make sure that they are trying as many things as possible that they can't pull off.

I liked it!!

I like this a lot. Good vibes.

Really good, actually. The songs can be long and repeat a lot which is always annoying, but that was the era.

I remember the title track. Didn't realize the singer was British but it's quite prominent. Anyway this was ok but I'm not sure it's essential.

Not sure what they were doing here, but they weren’t doing it for me, apparently .

On first listen sounds dated- very early 90s- some of it almost sounds like c and c music factory. Not awful but won’t be listening again.

I loved this. This is up my alley all the way. I seem to have fallen behind on the album generator site so I will keep this one simple. This is part of my "core genre" and it is a core group (whether I was reintroduced by the site or not (which I was!)). I can just groove to this without any need for mood or timing or excuses. For me, this band. All in!

its ok

Quite a few songs we really enjoyed on here. Took us by surprise and we will be seeking this one out again.

Some fuck ass DVD screen music you wake up to on repeat at 3am but you’re too stuck off your weekend bender to turn it off or press play again. Also some fuck shit that you would pretend to like so you could smash

J’ai bien aimé, mais sans plus.

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

correct

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

Nah, didn't really care for it. The main single was catchy for the first couple of minutes, but it is way too long.

Pretty 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.

kind of like house music with more jazz, i enjoyed my listen. the singer’s voice kind of sounds like the lead vocalist for fontaines dc which is a plus in my opinion.

Let’s start with the positives, the title track is good enough. It’s a bit overplayed here in the UK since it’s been used in loads of adverts down the years but it’s not a bad song. I really enjoyed Creation, never heard that one before. As for the rest of the album, there’s a whole lot of nothing going on. Just some forgettable background music. Top Track - Creation

3,3/5

Not terrible, just not that interesting for me.

This just sounds like that really cliche pop electronica popular in the 90s, where there is a fusion of jazz and world music over a breakbeat. This one is particularly British, with some Caribbean affectation in the voice, like Snow meets Moby. Every song sounds like the same gimmick and it's forgettable.

Nice

4.1

Overall, pretty meh-feeling album. There were beats that would make you feel like the song isn't too bad, but it doesn't really go far from there. Leaving it in the background would be fine, but that's all I guess.

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.

It’s like if the Sopranos theme just kept going.

6/10

Not unpleasant.

This was ok, I recognized a couple. Nothing I would seek out but not a terrible listen. 2.5/5

It’s as if Deee-Lite and Smashmouth had a kid that turned out to be slightly smarter and cooler than their parents. Slightly. Or at least enough to move this into slightly fine when listening as a background filler.

Alright I recognized a couple of these. Didn’t make me like it. A reminder that this isn’t simply the 1001 best albums. Obviously.

Didn’t know this going in. Then the first song came on and I was like “motha effer!” So overplayed and I feel like I’ve been trying to get that out of my head for the last 3 decades. Wanted to go instant 1 but I powered through. The rest was fine.

Not a terrible album as background music for getting through some work. Def not high praise. And never a great thing when your most well known song is also my least-liked. Totally fine. Not great. 2.25/5