Connected | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 5 October 1992 | |||
Genre | Acid jazz, alternative hip hop, trip hop | |||
Length | 56:10 | |||
Label | Fourth & Broadway/Island/PolyGram Records 512 743 | |||
Producer | Stereo MC's, Veronica Davis, Andrea Groves | |||
Stereo MC's chronology | ||||
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Singles from Connected | ||||
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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]Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Calgary Herald | B+[2] |
Chicago Tribune | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Select | 5/5[6] |
The Village Voice | B−[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
[edit]All songs written by Robert Birch (Rob B)/Nicholas Hallam (The Head), except where noted
- "Connected" (Birch/Hallam/H.W. Casey/Richard Finch) – 5:14
- Contains a sample from "Let Me (Let Me Be Your Lover)" by Jimmy "Bo" Horne.
- "Ground Level" – 4:13
- "Everything" (Birch/Hallam/James L. Worthy) – 3:47
- "Sketch" (Birch/Hallam/Tuzé DeAbreu) – 5:44
- Contains a sample of "Passarinho" by Gal Costa.
- "Fade Away" – 4:25
- "All Night Long" – 4:07
- "Step It Up" – 4:59
- "Playing With Fire" – 4:20
- Uses the piano progression from the introduction to Monkey Man on Let it Bleed by the Rolling Stones
- Contains a sample of "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" by Pet Shop Boys.
- "Pressure" – 3:50
- "Chicken Shake" – 3:50
- "Creation" – 5:03
- "Don't Let Up" (feat. Mica Paris)[11] – 3:09
- "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]- James Hallawell – keyboards, organ
- Paul O. Kane, Matthew Seligman – bass guitar
- Chicu Modu – saxophone
- Ivan Hussey, Johnny T., Anya Ulman, Laura Cochrane – strings
- Kick Horns – brass
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 (1992–1993) | Peak position |
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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
[edit]Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] | Platinum | 420,000[19] |
References
[edit]- ^ "Connected – Stereo MC's". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
- ^ a b Muretich, James (24 January 1993). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald.
- ^ Kot, Greg (21 January 1993). "Stereo MC's Connected". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Higginbotham, Adam (November 1992). "The Stereo MCs: Connected". Select (29): 85.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (23 November 1993). "Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
- ^ "Best Album by a British Artist". Billboard. 18 February 1995. p. 48. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
connected stereo mc brit 1994.
- ^ "Mercury Prize 1993". Mercury Prize. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Stereo MC's – Connected". Discogs. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 266.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Stereo MC's – Connected" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Stereo MC's – Connected" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Stereo MC's – Connected". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Stereo MC's – Connected". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Stereo MC's – Connected". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ^ "Rap On The Global Map". Billboard. 26 November 1994. p. 34. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- ^ "British album certifications – Stereo MCs – Connected". British Phonographic Industry.