Connected (Stereo MC's album)

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

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

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Calgary Herald	B+[2]
Chicago Tribune	[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[5]
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

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)^[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

• 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

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)[19]	Platinum	420,000[20]