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Connected (Stereo MC's album)

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Connected
Studio album by
Stereo MC's
Released5 October 1992
GenresAcid jazz, alternative hip hop, trip hop
Length56:10
LabelsGee Street/Island
512 743
ProducerStereo MC's
Stereo MC's chronology
Supernatural
(1990)		 Connected
(1992)		 DJ Kicks
(2000)
Singles from Connected
  1. "Connected"
    Released: 14 September 1992
  2. "Step It Up"
    Released: 23 November 1992
  3. "Ground Level"
    Released: 8 February 1993
  4. "Creation"
    Released: 17 May 1993

Connected is the third studio album by Stereo MC's. The tracks "Connected", "Ground Level", "Step It Up" and "Creation" became hit singles.

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star[1]
Calgary HeraldB+[2]
Chicago TribuneStarStarHalf star[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStarStar[4]
The Rolling Stone Album GuideStarStarStarHalf star[5]
Select5/5[6]
The Village VoiceB−[7]

In a contemporary review, James Muretich from Calgary Herald said that "the hour-long program does wear a wee thin but, hey, while the groove-mood lasts, it`s a blast".[2] Music critic Robert Christgau for The Village Voice, wrote that, although its music is amiable and rhythmic, Connected is also "so multifaceted that its functionality is fungible and forgettable."[7] In June 2000, Q placed Connected as #52 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.[8] The album won Best British Album at the 1994 Brit Awards,[9] was shortlisted for the 1993 Mercury Prize,[10] and included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[11]

Track listing

[edit]

All songs written by Robert Birch (Rob B)/Nicholas Hallam (The Head), except where noted

  1. "Connected" (Birch/Hallam/H.W. Casey/Richard Finch) – 5:14
  2. "Ground Level" – 4:13
  3. "Everything" (Birch/Hallam/James L. Worthy) – 3:47
  4. "Sketch" (Birch/Hallam/Tuzé DeAbreu) – 5:44
    • Contains a sample of "Passarinho" by Gal Costa.
  5. "Fade Away" – 4:25
  6. "All Night Long" – 4:07
  7. "Step It Up" – 4:59
  8. "Playing With Fire" – 4:20
  9. "Pressure" – 3:50
  10. "Chicken Shake" – 3:50
  11. "Creation" – 5:03
  12. "Don't Let Up" (feat. Mica Paris)[12] – 3:09
  13. "The End" (Birch/Hallum/Carole King/Toni Stern) – 3:47

Personnel

[edit]

Stereo MCs

[edit]
  • Robert Charles "Rob B." Birch – vocals
  • Nick "The Head" Hallam – DJ
  • Ian Frederick "Owen If" Rossiter – drums, percussion
  • Cath Coffey – backing vocals

Additional personnel

[edit]

Singles

[edit]
  • "Connected" (#18 in the United Kingdom, 14 September 1992)
  • "Step It Up" (#12 in the United Kingdom, 23 November 1992)
  • "Ground Level" (#19 in the United Kingdom, 8 February 1993)
  • "Creation" (#19 in United Kingdom, 17 May 1993)

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Connected
Chart (1992–1993) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] 86
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[14]12
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[15]47
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[16]33
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[17]17
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[18]19
UK Albums (Official Charts)[19]2
Chart (2026) Peak
position
Greek Albums (IFPI)[20] 57

Certifications and sales

[edit]
Certifications and sales for Connected
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[21] Platinum 420,000[22]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Connected – Stereo MC's". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  2. 1 2 Muretich, James (24 January 1993). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald.
  3. ↑ Kot, Greg (21 January 1993). "Stereo MC's Connected". Chicago Tribune.
  4. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  5. ↑ Diehl, Matt (2004). "Stereo MC's". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 781. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  6. ↑ Higginbotham, Adam (November 1992). "The Stereo MCs: Connected". Select (29): 85.
  7. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (23 November 1993). "Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  8. ↑ "Q - the 100 greatest British albums (june 2000)". muzieklijstjes.nl. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  9. ↑ "Best Album by a British Artist". Billboard. 18 February 1995. p. 48. Retrieved 17 April 2019. connected stereo mc brit 1994.
  10. ↑ "Mercury Prize 1993". Mercury Prize. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  11. ↑ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
  12. ↑ "Stereo MC's – Connected". Discogs. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  13. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 266.
  14. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Stereo MC's – Connected" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  15. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Stereo MC's – Connected" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  16. ↑ "Charts.nz – Stereo MC's – Connected". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  17. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Stereo MC's – Connected". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  18. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Stereo MC's – Connected". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  19. ↑ "Official Albums Chart on 17/1/1993 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  20. ↑ "Official IFPI Charts Top-100 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) – Εβδομάδα: 01/2026" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Retrieved 14 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  21. ↑ "British album certifications – Stereo MCs – Connected". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Formats field. Type Connected Stereo MCs in the "Search:" field.
  22. ↑ "Rap On The Global Map". Billboard. 26 November 1994. p. 34. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
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