Connected

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

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.

Badly dated dance hip hop fusion.

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

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 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.

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

correct

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

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

Not terrible, just not that interesting for me.

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.

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

Boring and samey

Has a musical act ever so neatly anticipated a dramatic technology leap like Stereo MC’s? “Connected” hitting just before mobile cellular devices forever changed the world would be like Sousa’s Band putting out a hit single about air travel in 1900, The Kinks writing about microwaves in the mid-60s, Fontaines DC releasing an album in 2022 about generative AI … Portents isn’t all Stereo MC’s had plenty of though, as Connected proves. This is a solid, focussed and thoroughly convincing record that features two stone cold 90s classics in “Connected” and “Step It Up”. There’s elements of Screamadelica, plenty of groovy house and a proliferation of bass lines that, in retrospect, embody perfectly that specifically 90s tendency to conflate having fun with the flogging of consumer electronics. (I dropped my first phone in the toilet of a McDonald’s in Worksop town centre. Eminem’s “Stan” was the ringtone, my fascia Manchester United. The good folks at Carphone Warehouse happily arranged a fix for me; can’t remember how, I don’t think rice had made it to north notts by then. I’d like to think “Connected”, then the sonic logo of Carphone Warehouse, with its message about the fragility of important human connections, played a part in that moment of healing. Stumble I may have – the phone shot out my hoody pocket when I tripped turning around over enthusiastically – but the folk at the Warehouse did not let me fall.)

The lowest of 2’s

Dated as hell

very forgettable.

The opening track is decent, the rest was t all that interesting to me.

It's a cool vibe but I lose interest in albums like this about halfway through.

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?

Music to play in the background, like while you get your hair cut or something. Whatever.

Quite bland. Change the drum loop lads

Stop the train I think I'm going insane

3/10

This is barely an album. There's zero reason why this should be on this list. It has one really good song and then 50 minutes of music that is extremely mediocre. The triphop stuff was almost okay but the range that Massive Attack is what makes them great.

It’s fine. I objectionable. But 1/2 hour later, i could barely recall what it sounded like. So why? Why is it on the list? A 2.

The Good: We get stereo! The Bad: Might as well have been mono… The Ugly: Still trying to find the connection… Flash back to any ‘90s party, when the evening was still young… because later, grunge will kick in, followed by golden oldies… Back to the start of the party, not bad, as background music… but get’s repetitive fast, and loses its allure even quicker. So what are we to do with the Stereo MC’s? Maybe put them back in the box? Or reissue them? Nah… They’re probably hanging on to their “good ol’ days” kinda vibe… Want to give them 3*, but can’t… EDM and all...

Objectively this is a pretty upbeat and inoffensive hip-hop/dance (ish) album, perfectly listenable. Subjectively, the singer has always annoyed me, and ‘Step it up’ just winds me up. Not for any obvious logical reason, that’s just the way it is.

A lot to not like, but could be worse

Starts out pretty fun, until it's not. I'm not a hater but I really don't see why this has to be here. Favorite track: Connected 2.5/5

I question the taste of the 5 star reviewers of this album. This album oozes the essence of Windows 95 and the America Online homepage.

The title track is a jam for sure, but the rest of the album is forgettable.

burhhgh

Rated starts at -1 for making me listen to that god awful opener again. No. JUST NO. Beyond that, some vaguely acceptable urban funky beats thrown down (Step it Up probably the best effort here), but the appeal remains elusive to me.

Some 90s albums don’t hold up.

Would give 2.5 stars. Not a bad sound but could use a little more variety to justify the runtime.

Not really for me. Just not really a genre that does anything for me musically.

This is fine, but very samey? "Step It Up" was probably my fave on here

Ein funky Mix aus Acid Jazz und Hip-Hop, der 1992 einschlug – heute aber etwas angestaubt wirkt. „Connected“ bleibt ein Ohrwurm, doch viele Tracks sind monoton und textlich flach. Für Fans der 90er-Clubszene interessant, aber kein Muss.

Can't say I've ever felt the need to be transported to Clapham in 1992, but I imagine there's no better album to take you there!

Non il mio genere.

probably fine but im in way too much mental noise and nagging physical pain rn to deal with british rapping over Perfectly Okay but very repetitive dance beats. i dont usually like to be this flippant my apologies ghjsdghjsd

Didn't grab me but didn't hate it

it started off so promising and there were rhythms and sounds sprinkled throughout that i enjoyed but it got so so so so repetitive and boring in the end

En halvbra låt gör inget album.

This was fine

My instincts didn’t fail me, when I saw the album art and decided to put this one off. It’s very ok, and I won’t be revisiting.

Creation // 1.5/5

Pick a song, any song. They all sound the same with enlightened lyrics that they think will change the world. Connected is all you really need to listen to & you've heard the whole album. Fun & upbeat hip-hop electronica. 2

It’s not really my thing but I’ve come around on this kind of music a bit. Catchy and fun, but very repetitive.

Britrap that isnt HORRIBLE. Just okay

Overall, this was an alright album. I didn't mind having it on during my workday. In fact, it felt like the perfect thing to listen to while completing tasks. The repetitive nature of some of the songs felt grounding in a way, it gave you something predictable to follow, with some quirky additions every now and then. This album wasn't very memorable to me, but I wouldn't mind if it were on.

Silence Ain't In Season 1001 Albums Generator 94 (08/12/2025) Stereo MC's are a British hiphop group who formed in the mid 80's and had a bit of a slow start to their career commercially. After releasing two albums that were well received by the British Underground, Stereo MC's reached true mainstream success with the release of their third studio album, Connected. I had never listened to this group before, but I have to admit that the album cover and band name combination had me a little bit worried. It looked like it was gonna be a lame 90's album that thinks it's cooler than it is. And that's pretty much what it is. There is clearly talent in Stereo MC's, especially in the production. Nearly every song has a catchy, funky, and fun beat behind it. My favorite beats are Connected, Everything, Pressure, and Creation. Fade Away is also kind of fun and, along with Pressure, really reminds me of Smash Mouth. At this point, I guess the fair question to ask is: should a band that sounds like Smash Mouth be on a list of 1001 albums you must hear before you die? I don't necessarily believe in genre exclusion, but I don't even think these guys are better than Smash Mouth. They are essentially just as good, which is to say, they are fine, but not anything special. With that said, there are some real stinkers on here. All Night Long is some sore of early version of trip hop that I just don't like. I think it's the most dated of all the songs. The album also ends really weakly with The End. I don't know man. It's fine. I liked a few songs, but did we really need 50 minutes of this? I don't think so. 2/5. Favs: Connected Pressure Creation Least Fav: All Night Long

The hit here, “Connected,” is a good—not great—song. And the rest of the album isn’t close to the level of “Connected.” Yikes. In what world is this one of the best albums ever?! (Not this one.)

This is groovy and listenable but it is basically background music.

Me fracturo para conectar En los 90s, mientras los niños mimados jugaban al BritPop definiendo qué era “cool”, Oasis y Blur se peleaban por ver quién lograba hacer pasar el álbum más pop por rock alternativo, sin gastar una libra en estética. Vendían sin chistar su crítica a la corpo para que lo único que quedara de la era dorada del post-punk británico fuera una mala lectura de la cultura Do It Yourself, reducida a slogan en colaboraciones de ropa de los Gallaghers. Entre los restos de los raves del acid house, el indie y el hip hop mezcládose con funk y soul- dependiendo de cómo entraras vestido y a qué club- Rob B y The Head quisieron entrar en el juego. Pero como todo capricho de alternos con altos patrimonios y padres separados, el plan se terminó antes de que pudieran organizar quién bajaba a comprar más puchos. Dos blanquitos de dientes amarillentos estirando fórmulas de canciones de tres minutos hasta volverlas una eternidad loopera, solo soportable para los mortales gracias a los coros de Cath Coffey. Se fracturaron a fuerza de samplers, caja de ritmos y bases programadas, mezclando secciones de flautas, bajos y teclados grabados con personas reales en medio de tanto loop electrónico y botoneras con hooks. Dos obsesivos buscando el loop perfecto, apenas interrumpidos por la hora del té de los coros femeninos, los grooves, los kicks horns y los tempos del funk. Todo parece un bricolaje digno de proclamarse arte nacional y no robado, hasta que notás que los chicos se mandaron la cagada de hacer los tributos a Public Enemy, De la Soul y Run DMC sonarán monótonos, chatos y negativamente eternos. Que alguien les saque la botonera a los muchachos antes de que Parliament- Funkadelic renuncie al funk. Aun así, apurarse con el botón del sampler hasta que les sangraran los dedos fue sacrificio suficientes, tras un Mercury Prize y un Brit Award al mejor álbum, la crítica los fichara como quienes lograron unir la escena de los clubes y la calle, y además gustarles a los aristócratas con un hip hop “sofisticado”. Con la cantidad de fragmentos sampleados, reverb y arreglos, las cintas del multipista se tildaban de vez en cuando, pero lograban un equilibrio casi perfecto entre pista y canción, manteniendo contentos a todos sin jugársela con líricas demasiado políticas. Entre rap y canto hablado, pistas secas y directas como “Connected”, “Step It Up”, “Ground Level” y “Creation” se remixaron tanto que terminaron funcionando como un pegamento entre la calle, el club y los aristócratas, sin incomodar a los niños mimados. Así, el post-acid house se volvió una paradoja en sí misma: en una cultura segmentada, tanto los de Birmingham como los de Campden Hill tienen un Stereo MC’s al que atemporalmente conectarse para fracturarse.

couple of good songs with great hooks, but ultimately repetitive.

Ome good song at the very start. Badly rapped songs for the rest of it.

Forstår ikke helt denne sjangeren. Enkelte låter er ålreite og funky, men veldig mye er en helt enkel beat i 4 minutter med en stemme lagt over som sier de samme ordene gjentatte ganger. Hva faen er dette.

its a bit boring 2/5

Another British electronica/house album with one or two good songs, but that album goes on for an hour. Desperately wanted this to finish so I could listen to the new Tyler The Creator album (in fact, I could listen to that album twice in the time it took me to listen to this shit ONCE).

Meh, love you uk electonica, but super meh

Yawn

ban british people from rapping oh my god why is this on the list 3.5/10

Oh, yeah...I remember this group. Then I forgot about them, just like I am going to again in about ten minutes. It's not bad, but it's not very interesting either. I would swap this album for either "God Fodder" or "Are You Normal?" from Ned's Atomic Dustbin.

2.5

First song was decent

This sucked. It wasnt bad, but it wasnt good and it certainly want something i need to hear before i die. Dated uk rap that didnt even stand out when it was fresh. I can name 1001 albums more relevant than this. Couple of ok singles.

Not that this was bad but most of the songs sounded exactly the same. I kept looking down hoping it would be over soon but still had songs left. Again, not bad but not my vibe.

Listened on train home after another 9.5 hour shift (tired). I know a lot of people like this album but it doesn't really do much for me. Sounds of it's time but I don't get the feeling of timeless currency that I took from A Tribe Called Quest (I know they're very different bands/albums). Just a bit bored really, clearly not aimed at me. Won't return to this one but sure it works for lots of others.

Album is okay. Only one song (Connected) that is well known. The rest is kinda boring

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjEeqng3/

I guess I can see why this got popular at the time. I can also see why it's been totally forgotten outside of the title track. Early '90s Gen X styled "end of music history" stuff that was probably destined to become an evolutionary dead end.

This is what passed for funk (or something) in the 90s? Much 90s music has a paint-by-numbers feel; all the pieces are there but the whole thing is just lifeless.

Groovy, but repetitive and no standouts.

Not cool enough for this one. I kept looking down and realizing this is still going. Felt like 8 different versions of the same song. Nonetheless, you got to give their drummer some.

Favorite Track: Connected

Not great rapping, singing, or lyrics. Sounds like any of the nameless Native Tongue copies from 89-94. Despite that this is not unpleasant and may reveal more on a future listen. 2/5

- alrighty, aber nichts, was ich mir andauernd reinziehen würde

Meh, Connected, the title track is alright but the rest doesn't do much for me. Sure is an early 90s time capsule though

Meh.

It has the makings for an album that I would love, but I’m just not a fan of most of this album.

Like an alternative pop. It was okay.

not feeling it

Favorite track: Connected other picks: step it up, ground level, creation

Hmm, ik denk dat ik dit op de Beasties na misschien wel het minste hiphop album vind. De beat zijn mwah, het is duidelijk een soort hybride elektronisch/hiphop album. Dat zou meteen mijn aandacht moeten trekken! Ik bedoel hiphop? En dan ook nog elektronisch? Sign me the fuck up! Maar nee, dit is voor mij een matige blend van de 2. Ik vind de rap maar matig, de beats zijn soms wel interessant maar grotendeels ook gewoon niet zo tof. Dit gaat ook meeteen terug naar mijn probleem met meerdere albums in deze lijst. In de beperkte keuze voor hiphop albums; was dit dan hét album dat we moesten luisteren? Wat maakt dit album nu zoveel beter dan albums die een stuk bijzonderder zijn? Het is een prima album. Ik irriteer me niet heel erg aan de muziek en kan het prima horen. Maar dit is voor mij een beetje de indiepop onder de hiphop albums; Prima, maar ik zou je nauwelijks kunnen vertellen welk nummer ik nu zo tof vond. 2e helft is een stuk beter, dat dan weer wel. En ik moet zeggen dat de instrumentale nummers beter zijn dan de nummers met verses. Stereo MC's zijn gewoon niet zulke hele goede rappers als je het mij vraagt... FAVO: Connected, Fade Away, Chicken Shake,

The opening title track was nostalgic, and the album kept the good beats and same vibe throughout. Rating 2 stars because this was really a one hit wonder, and it was quite repetitive.

Connected (the song) has the nostalgia factor, but the rest of the album sounds like a warmed over rehash of the same song. A low two.

Don't see the fuzz about this one. Ok at it's best, nothing more.

Hasn't really dated that well - seems a bit nothing now

This is the kind of inoffensive, thinly stretched electronic/dance music you hear in bars that are trying to be a bit more classy than more traditional pubs. Like it’s just on for vibes and atmosphere and it’s the same feeling I got when listening to it for this project. No matter how hard I tried to concentrate on it, it is naturally slipped into being background music. Every track has a similar kind of baseline going through it. And the whole thing just lacks any real variety, heart, or soul. 2/5

Masking "not-so-great" rapping with an electric or rock sound just doesn't sit well with me

Connected is still such a great track. Rest of the album didn't do much for me though

This is ok, it should not be on this list. Very dated.

was fine, listened to it while getting ready which was quite pleasant. quite a forgettable album though, nothing stood out to me

The two memorable singles are the top tunes on this album. The rest is pretty average. Not bad but it doesn't deserve to be included on this list.

Idk why this album is on the list. This felt extremely mid. Some of the later songs where pretty good but mostly It was uninteresting beats and uninteresting rhymes. Won't come back to this.

Another electronic album. At least this one is fun. Not particularly poignant, but it was listenable. 2.5/5 Won’t listen again

I know a few Stereo Mc’s songs…..and after a whole album I know why…..a few songs is plenty. They are well done but all seemed to have the same bass line and groove. I’ll stick with the ones I know!

1 star for the music and 1 star for the sheer audacity of putting this album on a list of 1001 albums to listen to before you die

I liked parts of it. Such as the flute and bari sax as well as the harmonizing vocals. I was a little put off by the name and the description, I guess hiphop and electronic music have shifted quite a bit since 1992. Connected and Ground level were a couple of the songs I liked.

Every song is so repetitive. Just kinda boring.

Dated

It’s not bad by any means but realistically I’m never going to go back to it

‘Connected’ was in like ever ‘90s movie (or at least it was in Hackers), and I always wondered what Stereo MC’s other stuff was like. Guess I never wondered enough to find out… Anyway, good to know it just sounds like ‘Connected.’

1001 ALBUMS- # 21 Dis-Connected! 🤷‍♂️ The inclusion of this album within the 1001 book publications is another blatant example of the personal bias Mr. Dimery seems to hold for artists with esteem to his local UK. How else would one explain countless subpar entries on a list of the best music records ever created, without representing those that left a similar mark in North America? (Pod by The Breeders, The Blue Album by Weezer, The Glow Pt. 2 by The Microphones, Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt, Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel…perhaps the slight here is to indie music in general). I think everyone on God’s green earth is familiar with the song ‘Connected’ and sure there are a couple of other memorable tracks built around it, but these alone cannot warrant the album as a whole to stand among the best of all-time. Additionally, these songs are some of the most 90’s DJ dance party themed repetitive mixes imaginable (complete with the trademark female backing vocals!), which frankly have aged terribly. Perhaps this landed before the floodgates opened during an era of hip hop euro dance, but today it sounds very unoriginal. 🎧 Classic Track: Connected 🚫 Skip Track: Pressure- Is it just me or is this not a shameless rip off of ‘Unbelievable’ by EMF that was released a year earlier?!? 🖼️ Album Artwork: ❌- what in the world were they thinking with the cover art?!? 🤣 In my research of the album I also found out that it was shortlisted for a Mercury Prize…nearly chocked on my coffee with that little tidbit, as this is nowhere in the same realm with the brilliance of PJ Harvey’s Rid of Me which it was nominated alongside that year. Hit the Thumbs Up icon below if you enjoyed my take on the album :)

90s electronic hip hop Oasis.

Nah

I went into this thinking I'd never heard of these guys, and based on the album cover art, I don't really want to know them, at least the guys. But as soon as I hit play I was like, oh wait, I do know this and, to be honest, like it. ...and as it wears on I like it less and less. I was willing to like it but in the end I was bored.

Haven’t heard this for a while, Connected is a great song. The rest is average

He weiss nöd. Irgendwie eifach nöd so geil

hui da isch nööööd miis. das vocal sample isch jo uuuhuere nervig. unddas isch glaub de hit gsi so. ground level sehr coole bass. aber nah macht nix mit mir. everything etz au sini reim sind eaaasy whack. ich hass sketch. nai. ich werde nicht auschecken den artist sketch. mit fade away chani mi etz no afründe aber jo ich finds irgendwie chli belanglos. all night long sooo langwilig. de beat vo step it up isch chl spannender aber ich gseh etz scho wies sich über vier e halb minute ziiiieht. es het. playing with fire seiter it's a doggy dog world sehr cool. song het endlich mol chli spannendi harmonisch sache aber finds immerno seehr monoton. hass d text würkli s het mit nüt ztue er isch afoch irgendöpis am sege dases öpis het aber da funktioniert halt bi rap nöd sorry. bin bi chicken shake und s wird langsam streng. has wüürkli nöd chöne gnüsse. keis 1 well grooves mengmol no cool aber bruuudi.

2.5

Not bad. The lyrics were a little dated and corny, but the beats were enjoyable. Probably not going to revisit ever but a decent listen.

Early 90s dance all sounds like they got the same Casio kit and ‘for dummy’s’ book for Xmas. It’s interesting the first time at least.

90’s roller rink music

More melodic than a lot of these albums tend to be, which I appreciate. Still not much my thing, though. 2.5/5

Mehh

Bit dated

They started with their best song and then it was all downhill from there. It was way longer than it needed to be and was quite repetitive in parts. I do like that the last track was called The End.

Nothing stood out, good or bad. Utterly forgettable.

Kender du typen

Electronics, meh. 2/5

Unimpressed. The first song took me right back to 1992. I then traveled back to the future and didn't really care for the rest.

Sooo monotonous and far too long

Corny 90s rap 🤷‍♂️

Extremely frustrating listen. This could have been so much better without that god awful drum track. I'm not saying it could get to the heights or a 4 or 5 but man, it could have been better. Similar to a lot of early hip hop groups they weren't constrained in the way later hip hop tends to be, with the backing vocals and general jam band vibe, but they sewered all of it with those fucking drums. No more brit pop! I hate it.

Man, this stuff didn't age well. Another example of the rampant pro-British bias in this collection. Robert Dimery (the editor of '1001 Albums...') was a patriot first and a music critic second. Wikipedia tells me this album won Best British Album at the 1994 Brit Awards, so at least the Brits loved it. As a non-Brit, I made it 4 songs in and decided it isn't worth listening more. If someone has a revelation about the other 9 songs, let me know

I remember that one song

Not really my kinda vibe. I feel like that’s personal preference though

mid

I feel like when you want to do this very nonchalant laid back sounding vocals you need to compensate with some really good quality exciting production (the band Yard Act is a great example of this done well) unfortunately this band doesn't really do that and so the songs come off as a bit boring, some of them are kinda fun but I have to agree that overall it's a bit mid

Painfully 90s

Qué se yo, un álbum divertido, pero que no logro entender en qué destaca. Un 2.5

Some cool moments, beats and overall production - it’s a pretty unique and very obviously London sound. I hate the way that they preach at you from time to time, but really like the message of morality they are trying to convey overall.

I associate music of this style from this era as with the game Gran Turismo. It's ok for background music when doing other tasks you need to focus on, but it doesn't make for the most interesting listen other than that. I can remember almost nothing of note after listening to the entire hour of this album, aside from the hook from the song Connected.

Eh, this was only fine. I didn't care much for it. Just not my sort of sounds. 2/5

C-

Not great. Not horrible either, but a bit of a chore to get though

Familiar tunes but sounded a little let gimmicky to me. Can’t help but relate to the Carphone Warehouse commercial.

90s cheese

Song 1. 2/5

Zu wenig Abwechslung

Two classic early 90s dance singles (Connected and Step It Up) get a star each, but like most albums in this genre there's just a ton of filler around them

They find a good groove and then they resoluty stay in it for the rest of the album

Not really my jam, but a few of the tracks are OK; British hip hop just doesn't land for me.

I’m over 900 albums in, and this is easily one of the most forgettable albums I’ve encountered on this list, so far.

Meh. Pretty standard fare as far as electronica hip-hop from the early 90s is concerned -- pretty repetitive beats and all. Didn't really hear anything that caught me or felt revolutionary here. Don't get me wrong, it's passable, but it's another inclusion that I'm not quite sure how it ended up on this list.

This album had potential to be so much better. I wouldn’t say the songs are bad, but each of them lack depth and creativity. Some are catchy at best. The lyricism tries so hard at times it made me roll my eyes. This is just barely a 2 star rating.

Not really my kind of music

As músicas mais conhecidas marcaram minha adolescência. Disco ótimo para um som ambiente mais descolado.

execute the album cover artist

Not my thing. Strong opener (there's probably a reason it was populare and the rest are not) but then it just got repetitive.

One idea per track doesn't make for a very interesting record...

Well this started off especially strong, but became increasingly difficult to get through after the first jam.

this won a Brit Award and was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize? could've fooled me. I'll reiterate that I am extremely American, so I have absolutely no reference point for why exactly this album and this band had such a huge moment in the UK at the time. it's serviceable dance music with some cool drums, surprise horn lines and decent enough rapping, but nothing here really stuck with me beyond that. it gets pretty repetitive just a few tracks in. yeah, dance music is about repetition, but from song to song, I feel like I'm hearing a lot of the same musical tropes. I like the minor pentatonic scale and the Dorian mode, but for a full-length dance album experience, they start to wear out their use after a while. this definitely doesn't feel like an album I should be sitting in a chair listening to; maybe if I was in a different listening context, like a dance party or something, it would hit differently. but as it stands, I'm not sure I'd call this "Must Hear" material. I guess you had to be there. light 4/10.

I remember them from 1992 ... Haven't thought about them since

Connected is a banger, but the rest just kind of blurs together

Reminds a tiny bit of WORLD PARTY, which I surprisingly liked when it first came out, even though I don't care for funk at all. This isn't as good as WP was though, so I'm just giving 2 stars

Hip hop, with some decent melody

It felt very samey.

This one has dated badly. Too much drugs and lazy beats.

207/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

Fairly decent beats, they're a one-hit wonder band but pretty much all the songs are on the level of Connected, I think. Totally unessential listening.

Nothing bad for the style, but I can't see how it can be of interest on this list.

Alternative dance from the 90s that absolutely no one would care about today. It was aggressively bad, tho.

I couldn't finish this, I just can't take this seriously. This album really highlights a feature missing from this website. I want to see what versions of the 1001 albums list each album was on. There's just no way this album was on every single list, and the original 2005 list was already pushing it's luck by including this. This album is seriously just a soundtrack. Every song is like... the opening song for a 90s coming of age movie. The kid wakes up and one of the interchangeable songs on this album plays (doesn't matter which one from what I heard) while they walk to school and it fades out when they walk through the doors. For some reason, the album is listed as trip hop, acid jazz, hip hop? Like yeah, I GUESS there's a dude rapping on the album, but honest question... was anyone really listening to this for the rapping? It's kind of like if Cake made way more boring, repetitive backing tracks for their singer. I thought it was more like breakbeat, which I already don't like because it's repetitive as hell and boring, but breakbeat at least has ENERGY. They took breakbeat, slowed it down, and then grabbed the Cake guy to do his laid back rapping. Nuh uh, no way, cannot bring myself to finish. At least it's just kinda boring, not offensively bad, so two stars.

Not good

Just okay

Good reminder on national mental health day to keep that mind connected. Outside of the two singles I remember (which are great nostalgia songs) I didn’t really love this

2.5

Didn't really like the repetitive voiceovers going on in the back, was alright thoug

Helt chill! Vidrig album art

There was a time when what's labelled under "genre" for this one was extremely my jam - acid jazz, alternative hip hop, trip hop - but Stereo MCs never were. I read some "Massive Attack" in the reviews and CTRL+F'd for more: There are nine of those comparisons - including one that ascribes influence of this album ON them, jfc - and alright, I'll roll with it: what if Massive Attack made music to party and get wasted to - right, a horrible prospect. When "Connected" steps on the brakes, it's okay but then, here's Massive Attack one more time: You can sing "Safe From Harm" ('91) over "Playing With Fire" ('92). Fun fact. So, all in all, another lackluster entry from a list of • Forgettable Albums With a Hit Single You Likely Have Heard. •

This is perfectly okay, musically. I'm docking a point because it seems to think it's saying something important.

Meh. This really is not my thing.

Not my thing. I don't care for MC type hip hop. There's some ok things in it? At least it's not the same thing over and over again

Here is another example of an album that is good but isn't really my thing. I did like some of the background touches, though, such as the use of brass and flutes.

🫤

not very good. very british.

Some cool tracks on here. Very late 90s sort of dj rap pop

Stereo MC's Connected is undoubtedly a product of its time, capturing the essence of early '90s dance-oriented hip-hop. The album boasts a vibrant, funky sound that's undeniably infectious. Tracks like the title track are undeniable classics, with their catchy melodies and energetic rhythms. However, while the album has its moments of brilliance, it also suffers from some pacing issues. The overall vibe can be a bit repetitive, and some tracks lack the same level of energy and innovation as the standout cuts. Additionally, the lyrical content, while socially conscious for the time, can feel somewhat shallow and generic in retrospect. Overall, Connected is a decent album that offers a glimpse into a specific musical era, but it's not without its flaws. It's a record best enjoyed in moderation.

Aldrig hørt dem før, anede faktisk ikke at Stereo MCs var sådan noget britisk semi-rap. Ret cool beats men også lidt flad oplevelse

Kæft det lyder som 90'erne. Step up er en banger, men resten er relativt forglemmeligt. Ikke lige noget jeg vil finde frem igen.

Nothing terrible about this album but bit of a stretch to say I need to listen to it before I die. Which to be fair applies to a lot of this list. 2.5 stars rounded down to 2.

Meh.. I remember hearing the track "connected" before. Not a whole lot to be excited about here.

Super nineties-sounding, bland, crisp electronic drum tracks backing tedious neo-hippie "we're all the same, man" lyrics. Has that strange sound that music from this era has where it was probably recorded and mixed digitally but the effects and technology weren't quite there, so it all sounds a bit rudimentary.

Not a great album. And tainted by association with the beginning of the death of the Ashton Court festival when they played in Hengove Park because of foot and mouth. They were terrible too.

Connected and Step It Up are the rememberable ones... the rest, meh!

meh

I didn’t really enjoy this album, but it wasn’t awful. I genuinely can’t fathom why it’s considered an essential listen though. I haven’t done any research, so perhaps it was revolutionary in its time. But to my stupid little modern ears, I’d find myself just tuning out. It is dance music, which has never honestly been my forte, but it isn’t as catchy as other dance music of the time.

tja... altijd maar tzelfde

not offensively bad, but just kind of boring and very repetitive. a lot of what you hear here sounds like first drafts, both lyrically and musically. pass!

Wasn't great when it came out and has aged very poorly. Hi tech but low talent effort.

It's interesting but not super into the vocals... Doubted between giving 2 or 3 stars. If I could I would say 2,5 Favorite Tracks: "Connected", "Creation"

I think it's supposed to be dance music, but I don't feel it. Favorite song: Pressure.

I guess 2 since it was fine, but I was kinda happen when the album was done. Will I listen to again: 0%

I remember buying this one on the strength of hit single "Connected". Alas, as fun as all of this kinda felt at the time, the rest of the album comes off as very lackluster compared to said single, and clearly didn't stand the test of time. Only now do I realize that "Playing With Fire" rips off an old moody cut by the Rolling Stones, to a very cheesy and dated result here. Lost that CD a long time ago. Not gonna buy it again. 1.5/5 for the purposes of this list, generously rounded up to 2 6.5/10 for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: 133 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 373 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 221 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 279 (including this one)

The guy singing on the first track reminded me of Oasis goes “trip hop” as Wikipedia described the genre. I didn’t like Everything and after a while I got a bit tired of the tracks.

Another alternative dance record out of '90s UK. I don't think vocalist Rob Birch is all that great here, and the beats end up fading into the background for me.

very repetitive, just didn't get into it

My opinion of this album hasn't changed since it first came out. It's okay, but it's not something I would choose to listen to. It sits uncomfortably in a little crevice between funk, rave, and dance music, a place that was popular for a short time in the early 1990s and then pretty much faded back away. There's a couple of hits here and they are really all that is needed to appreciate the entirety of what is on offer here. The extra tracks don't bring anything new to the table, just rather dull instrumental passages, and quite inane half-rap. It's not truly dire, but I feel 2 stars is still a little generous.

Pretty much what I expected, very laid back, that 90's Happy Mondaysish "vibe" . I do have a strong urge to buy a carphone all of a sudden. Weird.

Connected is a fine song. But I'm stopping at track ten here. This isn't doing it for me and I don't see it improving toward the end.

Pretty generic, even for a time when this kind of music wasn't common.

Generic slop. At least there were black people in it.

Meni kyllä mulla toisesta korvasta sisään, toisesta ulos, vaikka meno sinänsä oli iskevää. Miksi ette saaneet minua kuuntelemaan sanomaanne, Stereo MC’s? Miksi nimessänne on heittomerkki?

Jossain määrin tarttuvaakin, mutta esitettynä eteenpäin tasaisesti puksuttavalla, elottomalla ysärikompilla. Vaikea kiinnostua enempää kuin yhden kuuntelun verran.

Okay

I knew the first song. The rest was more of the same.

This isn’t really for me. It’s an early UK hip hop album but there are much better British rap artists who came later. There are much better acts that do the trip hop/acid jazz thing like Portishead or even Jamiroquai, and there are much better British rappers as well. I guess the fusion is sort of unique, but the sound that Stereo MC’s record still just doesn’t sound that unique. For better takes on the same general sound, listen to The Shamen, Tricky, or Happy Mondays instead.

It's so basic. It's really nothing you need to hear. There are much better examples of whatever this is.

I didn’t entirely hate it, but there was nothing about it that I enjoyed. It’s like a weird middle ground between pop and hip hop, but it doesn’t do either well.

This is silly and fun. But very samey-samey, with the rhymiest of rhymes, and it does NOT need to be 56 minutes long. A solid 2.5 but it's getting rounded down bc I will certainly never listen to this again.

Oh that’s the band behind that one song that I didn’t know was called connected, neat. There were a couple other fun moments on here at least

when i was in college, the intramural theater club director made everyone do a series of one act plays, and one of them involved a choreographed dance to Stereo MC's Step It Up. I still have stress dreams about being pulled from behind the lighting board to fill in for someone who got injured

Started out with quite high hopes for this one, but it fades pretty quickly. The title track is cool, but it's all very much of its time, steady, a bit hiphop, a bit alternative. Doesn't evoke much in me, it's a 2 really.

It's a rap album, made entirely to a brief that says "What is the maximum level of hip hop the least open minded white person would be willing to listen to?" And to which the answer is, "Very little". Connected and Step It Up are good pop songs though

No unbelievable

Pff, ik heb nu 2,5 keer heel het album geluisterd, en nog bij geen enkel moment een specifieke gedachte of opvatting gehad. Het is een beetje strandtent-loungemuziek. Ik wil er gewoon van neerploffen en een dikke boomstronk opsteken. Rating: 5,5/10 Highlights: Het klonk voor mij meer als 1 grote brei aan relaxbeats, ik kon geen onderscheid maken tussen de nummers

De plaat heeft een lekkere vibe om een goed gesprek op te voeren of een lekker drankje te drinken in de zon. Maar zet de muziek dan vooral niet te hard. 5/10 Highlights Connected

I was gonna give it a 1, because it's not good. But then they had a song that repeated "you can't make it fade away" and the irony of it earned them another star.

Very dated. Great opening track, but everything is downhill from there. Lyrics are not great, and the overall sound just screams early 90s in a way I did not miss.

Starts off pretty fun but quickly loses steam.

Enjoyed a few of the tracks, so 2 stars

Not bad but tiresome

Ugh. Another early hip hop record that sounds just like every other early hip hop record. Boring.

I don't even need to hear this after I die either. Plus I've heard "Connected" enough times to last me multiple lifetimes.

dance music. bleh.

A little outdated Not something I would listen to often. Songs are also a bit too long

Musa parani merkittävästi kun levyn jälkeen alkoi soimaan vastaava musa. Simppelit biitit eikä räbäyksessäkään kehuttavaa.

Doesn't belong in this list, all sounds the same. One hit wonders

Esto casi es un one hit wonder, además del Connected el Step it up. Pues en su momento tendría su gracia pero como imprescindible cuesta verlo.

Some reasonably catchy beats at times, but overall pretty unremarkable ‘90s British jazzy hip hop. “Connected” is the strongest song on the album (and their most popular song by quite a bit). There’s a few other decent tracks, but it drags quite a bit at 53 minutes. I don’t have a ton to say about this, it wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t really my thing at all. Favorite song: Connected Other: Ground Level, Step It Up 3/30/24

Im not listening to that album cover. Jk i did not care much for the style, seems quality enough but meh who cares at this point

One hit wonder in a Wonder Bread time of pop music

Not a baggy man myself. Didn't really hate this, but did find it a bit annoying, and very little grabbing me. Fave Tracks: Creation 2.4/5

Dos hits y después para escuchar de fondo

White

Pretty nice sounding album. Groovy. Overall though how it was on the list I wonder. It took a space from someone else.

Seems really dated. One hit song (in the early 90s) is no reason to add this album to the 1001 list.

Bland, boring and instantly forgetable. That would mean 3 stars per my rating system 1 star - hated it 2 stars - disliked it 3 stars - meh 4 stars - liked it 5 stars - loved it But that would be unfair to other albums who got 3 stars so I decided that listening to this album meant that aprox. 50 minutes could have been spend listening to music that was more interresting than this. That is enough to dislike this album and give it 2 stars.

I hope they made a lot of money from the advert, because the one-time ubiquity of 'Connected' via Vodaphone almost put me off listening to this... All that said. Nothing against this, but it speaks to me as indistinctly now as it did in 199-whatever. I think the problem is that the songs are in essence variations on an interesting but not inventive theme. It isn't an album that one really needs to pay a lot of attention to...

I thought the first two songs were pretty good on this album, and a couple towards the end, but the middle was mostly what I expected - dance tracks that feel like they are from the 90's. The best parts of this album made me think of early Massive Attack or The Prodigy, but I'd definitely go to one of those bands before ever listening to the Stereo MC's, again. On a positive note, the album was still better than I expected, as I was expecting something more in the style of "Pump Up the Jam."

I thought this was kind of boring. Easy to listen to, but nothing super innovative and all the songs tend to blend together. I did like the title track Connected, but then it was 50 kins of the same type of stuff.

⭐️⭐️it wasn’t terrible- vanilla sound- like a 70’s group brought into the 90’s, experimenting with music genres. It didn’t make me want to listen to any of their other music.

Dated sounding, mostly pointless, music where the beat is more important than any kind of songwriting skills.

Okayish. Not bad but not impressive as well

Not for me

Overall: I've only really ever heard the title track on this record. I vaguely recalled one other but hardly knew it. I had zero expectation for actually liking this record enough to get through the entire hour. But as I started paying closer attention to the lyrics, I found it to be quite brilliant that such controversial content was packaged up so well behind the dance beats. I can imagine people in the club dancing the night away without much knowledge of what words were driving into their brains repeatedly. Almost subliminal. I'm not too familiar with the success or response to this record, it'd be interesting to know what influence it may have had with people. I'd consider adding a few tracks to a playlist, or even putting this on while requiring something passive to groove to. Track Breakdown: Fade Away - it's super eerie how timely this lyric is in the US 2024 political lens .. "We're birds of a feather, bees of a sting, Listen to the words that the silo bring 'Cause we're livin' in the shadows of yesterday"

I have this on cassette, but alas no working tape deck. I liked this album a lot in HS, but hadn’t listened to it in decades. Still like some of the tracks, but feel a little bored by the bulk of the tracks. The success of this on mainstream radio did open the electronic pop music flood gates, so I suppose that is its legacy, that and funky flute. Younger me would have given it 4 stars, but older me realizes 2 stars is generous.

This wasn't bad but I know I'd never listen to it again. Completely not my style.

Preppy 🧑🏽‍🦳

It’s ok. Some good signature tunes.

Like the bite of a stale cracker

Beats were pretty good but I got bored of each song very quickly with how repetitive they were. The singer also was just kind of there in the song. Wish this was only a half hour long album.

A very bland and monotone record - I guess it’s an interesting curio as a crossover with 90s electronics pop, British hip hop and that earnest hippie culture and political activism that came with it - but as music - yawn.

Ugh really not a fan of this. Just super repetitive and boring. 4/10

not catchy

I watched the video for “connected”. So much denim, I could almost smell it. And looking at the lead singer, no wonder I had such bad taste in men in the 90s. Thank goodness that changed (adding in case husband is reading…) As for the music, tbh it was quite dull. Hadn’t reached the “repetitive but good” heights of Fat Boy Slim and the like. Might be better if I was off my tits on Two Dogs or Hooch while listening.

not good enough

Ok, feels a bit soulless

One of those albums where they had one great tune so put it at #1 and hope that will be people's lasting memory. Bloated album with one or two other catchy songs (Sketch) was alright but for the most part just drags on and on. Too many songs and most of those overrun. Glad it's over.

This kind of music doesn’t do much for me. It gets repetitive and boring very quickly. I mean, maybe it would be fun to make up some groovy dance moves to go along with it. I just couldn’t get into most of the songs.

I was kind of hopeful after the last trip-hop album, but this falls flat. It has some funky grooves that get stale quickly, and the vocals are bland and dry. Would not recommend.

Individual Ratings: 4.2 3 3.3 3.2 2 2 3.5 2.6 2.5 1.3 3 3.8 3.2 eh

boring and generic

A highly irritating album. The first song and I think the hit struck me as a rip of Happy Mondays... But I could be wrong. Very samey and annoying

I saw Chole's review and she's right, this is just a copy of Happy Monday's. So similar. Like A Bug's Life is to Antz, this is just a lesser version of something great.

Yeah, pretty unessential.

Barreja de música dance amb acid jazz, hip hop i house del momengt, tot plegat molt britànic. No està malament, sobretot en els seus millors moments ('One Step Up', 'Connected'), però queda lluny d'acumular grans mèrits

Completely forgot this.It was generic rapping I think with Basic Beats,no idea why it’s here.

Nudne

So it turns out that "Connected" and "Step it up" are two different songs.

So very 90s. A couple of tracks that are objectively good, although not my cup of tea. I liked the songs when I was 9 though? Does that mean I need to give this album a decent rating? I think not.

I have a good relationship with my girlfriend’s mother. She’s kind, thoughtful, laughs a lot, cooks a good chilli. And our music tastes have some great overlap: we share the same favourite song on the same favourite album (“You Never Give Me Your Money”, “Abbey Road”) and adore Kate Bush, Talking Heads, Tom Waits, Bjork and “Pet Sounds”. But every now and then there’s a snag: she has some unforgivable, controversial opinions. I’ve managed six years without writing at length about those opinions on the Internet, but today I had to wrestle with my utter bafflement over her taste. Here it comes… “Connected” by Stereo MCs is featured in her top 20 albums of all time. She’s fifty-nine years old. How does this happen to a person? Hoping for the best - maybe another “Pet Sounds” or “Abbey Road” for us to bond over - I went in with open ears and an open mind. I listened for an album that I might be willing to also place in my top twenty in thirty years time. And I found absolutely nothing. “Connected” is one hour long and it feels every second. Each track consists of hollow, synthetic drum loops, weedy vocals repeating the same handful of phrases, dated 90’s production (scratching, dub-style basslines, synth samples). I’ll reserve thin, hollow praise for the title track, as well as “Fade Away”, “Step It Up” and “Pressure” (nice backing vocals, percussion, brass, a bit more akin to songs than extended dance workouts). But the rest? A hell of a struggle. A final note on my girlfriend’s mother, the heart of my review. I’m aware there’s some irony in me slagging off her taste when I’ve given albums by Yes and Genesis five stars. I’m fully ready to accept that on an objective level, I may be less cool than my mother-in-law-to-be. But I’d rather live with that than give “Connected” too many more listens. Next time I go round there I’m going to hide the CD under the sink and choose some Bjork instead.

this is not good. It is not as bad as hands guy on the cover suggests it might be - at least the title track, anyway, because I'm not bothering with more than that. This doesn't quite get a 1 because it doesn't enrage me, wouldn't cross the room just to turn it off. music: hated. (⌐■_■)

I’m not cool enough to understand this music

-have never heard of these guys -this first song is very catchy -i am really liking all these songs so far -the lyrics are actually super powerful and moving -i don’t really like his voice and i think its taking me out of it a bit -they’re good songs but not super my vibe -overall i did enjoy the album

Electronic dance music is annoying. Very familiar with the first song and thought it was OK. By the time I got to song #3, I was over it and ready for the next listen. I did only listen 1 time, but there's nothing I'm going to find enjoyable with any additional listens. Another album I just have to say, not for me. 2

2 very good songs and that’s all. Doesn’t age well

No, thanks. Next.

This was absolutely terrible. But I got through it all, so I'm gonna say 2 stars for the sheer fact that I didn't rage quit half way through.

Meh

Banger opener, flattened out

Cant see myself ever listening to this again

J en'en peux plus de ces albums d'ambiance absolument nazes, du coup cet album paiera pour tous les autres.

Straight up elevator music. Only Fade Away is worth listen.

I think this record is trying to say deep things. But it's soooooo cheesy I can't hear any messages. This never hit in the US. But there was certainly cheesy crap here in 1992 not too dissimilar to this. This is crap. Let's be clear about that. But it's crap that lives in its moment. And it does that rather well.

Hey - I can swim in the trance of Connected for a dog’s age, but the rest of this album doesn’t rightly click with me. That said, I cannot overstate how much this album did for the all-denim wardrobe.

White hot for a moment in the UK in 1992, and then...poof...gone into 90's fun pub obscurity

I had high hopes for this album; it starts off with an incredibly catchy and unique title track, and then goes into the socially conscious "Ground Level" and "Everything." But after that point, things just feel like they're stuck in a loop musically and lyrically. While the percussion, sax, and keyboards are initially interesting, they never really stick the landing because they don't go beyond their initial catchiness. Lyrically, this album feels like you're trying to get away from someone trying to get you to sign a petition; you feel yourself nodding along for the first minute of their spiel, but then they keep repeating themselves and they can't really tell you what tangible thing they're trying to achieve. The worst part about this album is that the songs, like the album as a whole, tend to go on and on, never really achieving anything by extending their length. This album probably had some significant influence on alternative hip hop, but listening to it is like trying to run a 10K on sand.