Connected (Stereo MC's album)

Connected
Studio album by
Stereo MC's
Released5 October 1992
GenreAcid jazz, alternative hip hop, trip hop
Length56:10
LabelFourth & Broadway/Island/PolyGram Records
512 743
ProducerStereo MC's, Veronica Davis, Andrea Groves
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

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Calgary HeraldB+[2]
Chicago Tribune[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[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.[citation needed] The album won Best British Album at the 1994 Brit Awards,[8] was shortlisted for the 1993 Mercury Prize,[9] and included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[10]

Track listing

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)[11] – 3:09
  13. "The End" (Birch/Hallum/Carole King/Toni Stern) – 3:47

Personnel

Stereo MCs

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

Additional personnel

Singles

  • "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

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

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for Connected
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Platinum 420,000[19]

References

  1. ^ "Connected – Stereo MC's". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  2. ^ a b 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. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (23 November 1993). "Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  8. ^ "Best Album by a British Artist". Billboard. 18 February 1995. p. 48. Retrieved 17 April 2019. connected stereo mc brit 1994.
  9. ^ "Mercury Prize 1993". Mercury Prize. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ "Stereo MC's – Connected". Discogs. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  12. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 266.
  13. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Stereo MC's – Connected" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  14. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Stereo MC's – Connected" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  15. ^ "Charts.nz – Stereo MC's – Connected". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  16. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Stereo MC's – Connected". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Stereo MC's – Connected". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  18. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  19. ^ "Rap On The Global Map". Billboard. 26 November 1994. p. 34. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  20. ^ "British album certifications – Stereo MCs – Connected". British Phonographic Industry.
Stub icon

This 1990s electronic music album-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.