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Connected
Studio album by Stereo MC's
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
Supernatural (1990) Connected (1992) DJ Kicks (2000)
Singles from Connected
"Connected" Released: 14 September 1992 "Step It Up" Released: 23 November 1992 "Ground Level" Released: 8 February 1993 "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
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Calgary Herald	B+
Chicago Tribune
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Select	5/5
The Village Voice	B−

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". 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." In June 2000, Q placed Connected as #52 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. The album won Best British Album at the 1994 Brit Awards, was shortlisted for the 1993 Mercury Prize, and included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

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
   • Contains a sample from "Let Me (Let Me Be Your Lover)" by Jimmy "Bo" Horne.
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
   • 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.
9. "Pressure" – 3:50
10. "Chicken Shake" – 3:50
11. "Creation" – 5:03
12. "Don't Let Up" (feat. Mica Paris) – 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

• 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

• "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

Certifications and sales

References

1. "Connected – Stereo MC's". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
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. ^ 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.

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