Stereo MCs | ||
| Allmusic Biography : One of the most successful hip-hop acts to emerge from Great Britain, Stereo MCs formed in London in 1985, when rapper Rob B. (born Rob Birch) and DJ/producer the Head (Nick Hallam) formed the Gee Street label as a means of promoting their music. Gee Street soon signed a distribution deal with the New York-based 4th & Broadway label, and a series of singles followed before Stereo MCs debut album, 33-45-78, surfaced in 1989. After the departure of founding member Cesare, the group -- now consisting of Rob B., the Head, drummer Owen If (born Owen Rossiter), and vocalist Cath Coffey -- issued the 1990 single "Elevate My Mind," which became the first British rap single ever to reach the U.S. pop charts. Following the release of the album Supernatural, Stereo MCs toured with the Happy Mondays and EMF before returning to the studio to record their 1992 breakthrough Connected, a sample-free album recorded completely with live instruments which spawned major hits like "Step It Up," "Creation," "Ground Level," and the title track. Throughout several years of production and remix work, the groups long-awaited (and oft-delayed) follow-up remained unreleased, though in 1997, Coffey did at least issue her debut solo single, "Wild World." For their 2000 mix album DJ Kicks, Stereo MCs recorded three new tracks, "Rhino, Pts. 1-3," and finally in 2001 issued a new album, Deep Down & Dirty, after a long nine-year hiatus. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 13 Title: Supernatural Released: 1990 Tracks: 12 Duration: 49:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 I’m a Believer (04:34) 2 Scene of the Crime (04:03) 3 Declaration (03:07) 4 Elevate My Mind (03:18) 5 Two Horse Town (05:10) 6 Ain’t Got Nobody (04:41) 7 Goin’ Back to the Wild (04:30) 8 Lost in Music (Ultimatum remix) (04:48) 9 The Other Side (04:41) 10 Set Me Loose (03:29) 11 What’s the Word (03:38) 12 Early One Morning (03:43) |
| Supernatural : Allmusic album Review : The only thing that separates Supernatural and its hit follow-up, Connected, is that Connected had a hit. Otherwise, the albums are nearly identical and are equally enjoyable. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 13 Title: Connected Released: 1992-09-01 Tracks: 13 Duration: 56:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Connected (05:12) 2 Ground Level (04:13) 3 Everything (03:47) 4 Sketch (05:44) 5 Fade Away (04:26) 6 All Night Long (04:09) 7 Step It Up (05:01) 8 Playing With Fire (04:20) 9 Pressure (03:50) 10 Chicken Shake (03:50) 11 Creation (05:04) 12 Don’t Let Up (03:11) 13 The End (03:49) |
| Connected : Allmusic album Review : Stereo MCs American breakthrough is an energetic, club-oriented collection of colorful, funky dance tracks -- the raps almost seem like an afterthought, yet that doesnt distract from the sheer pleasure of their sound. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 13 Title: 33–45–78 Released: 1995-03-13 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:06:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 On 33 (05:07) 2 Use It (04:08) 3 Gee Street (04:21) 4 Neighbourhood (04:22) 5 Toe to Toe (04:44) 6 What Is Soul? (04:49) 7 What Is Soul? Part 2 (04:28) 8 Bring It On (04:40) 9 Outta Touch (04:16) 10 Sunday 19th March (04:15) 11 This Ain’t a Love Song (04:43) 12 Ancient Concept (01:32) 13 On the Mike (04:55) 14 Move (03:54) 15 Back to the Future (06:03) |
 | Album: 4 of 13 Title: DJ‐Kicks: Stereo MC’s Released: 2000-03-27 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:05:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Moon Trek (03:03) 2 Back to the Hip Hop (02:02) 3 Solid Feet (04:13) 4 Ibuki Reconstruction (04:06) 5 Road to the Riches (02:30) 6 Tell Me Why (Revised by Soul Circuit) (01:52) 7 Poppa Large (01:28) 8 Do It, Do It (02:35) 9 Beans & Rice (04:07) 10 Tounge of Labyrinth (00:51) 11 Roller Rinks and Chicks (01:00) 12 From the Ground Up (a cappella) (01:36) 13 Slight of Hand (03:26) 14 Rhino, Part II (04:49) 15 Pharaoh Intellect (03:23) 16 Flameout (02:31) 17 Theme From Control Centre (reprise) (02:43) 18 Hypnotize (00:19) 19 Latazz (02:25) 20 At the Helm (02:36) 21 Rhino, Part III (03:17) 22 Seeing Red (03:51) 23 Rhino, Part I (04:11) 24 Front Line Football (01:05) 25 Cash Flow (01:41) |
 | Album: 5 of 13 Title: Re-Connected Released: 2001 Tracks: 5 Duration: 22:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Deep Down and Dirty (Two Lone Swordsmen remix) (05:53) 2 Deliverance (03:25) 3 Connected (05:12) 4 Step It Up (05:01) 5 Elevate My Mind (03:19) |
 | Album: 6 of 13 Title: Deep Down & Dirty Released: 2001-05-28 Tracks: 12 Duration: 51:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Deep Down & Dirty (original version) (04:22) 2 We Belong in This World Together (04:40) 3 Breeze (04:25) 4 Running (04:53) 5 Graffiti, Part One (02:34) 6 Graffiti, Part Two (02:49) 7 Sofisticated (04:14) 8 Traffic (05:18) 9 The Right Effect (04:40) 10 Stop at Nothing (04:01) 11 Unconscious (04:06) 12 Shameless (04:54) |
| Deep Down & Dirty : Allmusic album Review : In 2001, several years after any listeners couldve expected a follow-up to 1992s Connected, Stereo MCs finally delivered with Deep Down & Dirty. Its a tribute to how far ahead of the curve Stereo MCs were ten years earlier that Deep Down & Dirty never strays far from the spirit of Connected, but still sounds perfectly up-to-date for 2001. Its clear the productions are more mature and more complex, but they still plumb the depths of deep-groove beatbox funk, with nods to soul-jazz and gospel. Still tossing out lines with the half-assed cool of Shaun Ryder or Ian Brown, frontman Rob Birch doesnt rap quite as much as he used to (thats a good thing), and the productions are a tad more down-tempo and dubby than when the band was at its most clubbed-up in the early 90s. The title-track opener sets things off in fine fashion, working a stuttered mid-tempo groove with split-second snippets from the horn section and a full-throttle vocal backing. In true soul tradition, the upfront mover "Graffiti, Pt. 1" segues into a bongo-led "Graffiti, Pt. 2." Birch even sends up his slacker-cool image on "Sofisticated," a groovy piano-and-beatbox number. Along with Birch, producer Nick Hallam (aka the Head) is the other key to what makes Deep Down & Dirty so much fun, packing his productions to the bursting point with dusty beats, lines from old Hammond organs, and samples of bygone soul shouters. Despite a few traditionalist, anthemic tracks ("We Belong in This World Together," "Running") which dont work as well as they wouldve in the heady days of 1993, Deep Down & Dirty is a solid record that reveals no trace of cobwebs from Stereo MCs long hiatus. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 13 Title: Retroactive Released: 2002 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:13:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Creation (04:02) 2 We Belong in This World Together (04:40) 3 Step It Up (05:01) 4 On 33 (04:41) 5 Running (radio mix) (03:37) 6 Ground Level (04:13) 7 Lost in Music (Ultimatum remix) (03:38) 8 Bring It On (04:40) 9 Chicken Shake (03:14) 10 Sofisticated (04:14) 11 Deep Down & Dirty (original version) (04:22) 12 Two Horse Town (04:15) 13 Connected (05:12) 14 Elevate My Mind (03:19) 15 What Is Soul? (04:49) 16 Traffic (05:18) 17 Move It (03:56) |
| Retroactive : Allmusic album Review : Well over a decade passed since they took the U.S. charts by storm with their infectious single "Elevate My Mind." Since then, much has passed underneath the radar of the dance community when it comes to Stereo MCs. Through the 18 tracks here, the finest moments of their career unravel. And while this may have been compiled with those uninitiated to their other songs in mind, this is also a very nice compilation to have for the dedicated fan who has followed the group religiously. Their two biggest hits ("Connected" and "Elevate My Mind") stand firmly as the crown jewels of the release, but this is definitely not a detractor from the other quality numbers on Retroactive. Its a solid guidebook to a band both ahead of its time and sorely overlooked. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 13 Title: Remixed by Stereo MCs Released: 2002-11-11 Tracks: 11 Duration: 03:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 War & Friction (Stereo MCs remix) (?) 2 I Changed My Mind (Rattlesnake mix) (feat. Lyrics Born & The Poets of Rhythm) (?) 3 Freediving (Stereo MCs remix) (feat. Cornelius) (?) 4 Silently Bad Minded (Stereo MCs mix) (03:38) 5 Makes Me Wanna Die (The Weekend mix) (?) 6 Because I Got It Like That (Ultimatum mix) (?) 7 Follow Me Not (Ultimatum mix) (?) 8 My Lovin Is Digi (Stereo MCs remix) (?) 9 Everybody Jump Off (Stereo MCs remix) (?) 10 My Mate Paul (Stereo MCs remix) (?) 11 59 Seconds (?) |
 | Album: 9 of 13 Title: Paradise Released: 2005-08-22 Tracks: 12 Duration: 48:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Warhead (04:41) 2 Set It Off (04:33) 3 First Love (04:00) 4 Sun (03:28) 5 The Fear (05:01) 6 Dont Know (03:32) 1 Float On (04:14) 2 Paradise (03:54) 3 Prime Time (03:45) 4 I Feel You (04:34) 5 Breathe Out (04:29) 6 Out of Control (02:25) |
 | Album: 10 of 13 Title: Live at the BBC Released: 2008-01-28 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:15:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Elevate My Mind (04:07) 2 Sofisticated (04:03) 3 Deep Down and Dirty (04:19) 4 Fade Away (04:42) 5 Graffiti,Part 1 (02:44) 6 Graffiti,Part 2 (03:22) 7 Connected (05:31) 8 Pressure (04:40) 9 Playing With Fire (04:45) 10 Lost in Music (04:41) 11 Ground Level (05:56) 12 Breeze (01:10) 13 Step It Up (05:45) 14 Creation (04:23) 15 Set It Off (03:05) 16 What Is Soul (04:43) 17 Toe to Toe (04:38) 18 Gee Street (02:59) |
 | Album: 11 of 13 Title: Double Bubble Released: 2008-07-25 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:12:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Get on It (03:46) 2 The Here & Now (04:03) 3 Karaoke (05:26) 4 City Lights (04:23) 5 Gringo (Ragged & Ruthless) (03:20) 6 Pictures (04:02) 7 Revolution (04:53) 8 Black Gold (04:11) 9 Show Your Light (05:26) 10 Coming Home (04:09) 11 Human / Changing (10:36) 1 Joy (03:55) 2 Master of My Own Mind (03:40) 3 Hot Blood (03:12) 4 Soul Girl (03:36) 5 You Got It All (03:35) |
| Double Bubble : Allmusic album Review : Apparently learning from their career-killing nine years between albums, British dance collective Stereo MCs recent output could be described as prolific by their standards, with their fifth studio album, Double Bubble, appearing just a relatively short three years after 2005s Paradise. Their uplifting blend of P-Funk, house, rap, and soul may have been met with a wave of indifference by everybody but hardcore Hacienda revivalists since their belated return, but the Brit Award-winners newfound work ethic appears to have instilled a creative streak which could soon change that situation. Released through their own Graffiti Recordings label, its 12 tracks still occasionally veer into the baggy disco territory of their early-90s heyday, such as the jittery synth-led acid-house of opening track "Get on It" and the psychedelic rave of the Shamen-esque "City Lights," but thanks to teenage cohort Tic Tocs eclectic contemporary production, the majority of the album showcases a sense of invention sorely lacking since their comeback. "Gringo (Ragged and Ruthless)" is a glorious Bollywood-flavored call to arms just as enthralling as Basement Jaxxs ventures into Middle Eastern dancehall, "Show Your Light" is a funky fusion of jazzy piano chords, pulsing four-to-the-floor beats, and gospel-tinged vocals complete with a soaring string breakdown, while there are convincing stabs at laid-back Just Jack-esque acoustic hip-hop on "Coming Home," skittering drum‘nbass on "Human," and Kasabian-style dance-rock on the booming basslines, Gregorian chanting, and indie-disco grooves of lead single "Black Gold." There are a few misfires, such as the plodding attempt to gatecrash the nu-synth scene on the confessional "Pictures" and the meandering video game electro of "The Here and Now," while Rob Birchs dissections of urban London life and forays into more political matters are undermined by the regular "yippee-yi-yay" lyrical nonsense. But although Double Bubble doesnt capture the zeitgeist in the same way that Connected did, its still a promising return to form which, at the very least, gives them a fighting chance of regaining some of their momentum. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 13 Title: Emperors Nightingale Released: 2011-09-05 Tracks: 12 Duration: 50:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wooden Heart (02:03) 2 Boy (feat. Jamie Cullum) (05:26) 3 Phase Me (04:26) 4 Far Out Feeling (03:47) 5 Sunny Day (05:09) 6 Manner (04:55) 7 Tales (04:27) 8 2cando (05:24) 9 Bring It On (Path to the Mind and the Soul and the Spirit) (04:24) 10 Levitation (03:34) 11 Desert Song (05:33) 12 Wooden Heart (reprise) (01:11) |
| Emperor's Nightingale : Allmusic album Review : In their heyday, when they were the darlings of international hip-hop and really the first significant British rap artists, the Stereo MCs found themselves in rarefied company, sharing stages with everyone from U2 and Living Colour to Janes Addiction and De La Soul. But its not 1993 anymore, and over the years the Stereo MCs have gradually shrugged off the strictures of hip-hop orthodoxy and become a genuine pop group. On Emperors Nightingale their sound is still informed by their hip-hop past, but much more so by their years of remixing and exploring other beat-based genres. On this album, vocalist Rob Birch sings, almost exclusively. (Only on "Bring It On [Path to the Mind and the Soul and the Spirit]" does his singing start to resemble rapping in any real way.) The duos new style is not exactly forward-looking -- squidgy synths and glistening electronic percussion predominate -- but its certainly accomplished and self-assured, and at its best the results are truly impressive. "Boy" is a gorgeous slab of old-school electro-pop, with a chorus the Pet Shop Boys could be proud of, while "Manner" and the especially funky "Far Out Feeling" start creating a more individual sound that could develop into something new and significant. Best of all, though, is "Desert Song," a soca-flavored dub-funk workout that closes the album on a high note. If they keep moving ahead in this vein, things could start getting very interesting again. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 13 Title: Collected Released: 2014-10-27 Tracks: 123 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 On 33 (?) 2 Use It (?) 3 Gee Street (?) 4 Neighbourhood (?) 5 Toe to Toe (?) 6 What Is Soul? (?) 7 Part 2 (?) 8 Bring It On (?) 9 Out of Touch (?) 10 Sunday 19th March (?) 11 This Aint a Love Song (?) 12 Ancient Concept (?) 13 On the Mike (?) 14 Move (?) 15 Back to the Future (?) 1 Im a Believer (?) 2 Scene of the Crime (?) 3 Declaration (?) 4 Elevate My Mind (?) 5 Watcha Gonna Do? (?) 6 Two Horse Town (?) 7 Aint Got Nobody (?) 8 Goin Back to the Wild (?) 9 Lost in Music (?) 10 Life on the Line (?) 11 The Other Side (?) 12 Set Me Loose (?) 13 Whats the Word (?) 14 Early One Morning (?) 15 Smokin With the Motherman (?) 16 Relentless (?) 1 Connected (?) 2 Ground Level (?) 3 Everything (?) 4 Sketch (?) 5 Fade Away (?) 6 All Night Long (?) 7 Step It Up (?) 8 Playing With Fire (?) 9 Pressure (?) 10 Chicken Shake (?) 11 Creation (?) 12 The End (?) 1 Deep Down & Dirty (?) 2 We Belong in This World Together (?) 3 Breeze (?) 4 Running (?) 5 Graffiti Part One (?) 6 Graffiti Part Two (?) 7 Sofisticated (?) 8 Traffic (?) 9 The Right Effect (?) 10 Stop at Nothing (?) 11 Unconscious (?) 12 Shameless (?) 1 Warhead (?) 2 Set It Off (?) 3 First Love (?) 4 Sun (?) 5 The Fear (?) 6 Dont Know (?) 7 Float On (?) 8 Paradise (?) 9 Prime Time (?) 10 I Feel You (?) 11 Breath Out (?) 12 Out of Control (?) 1 Get on It (?) 2 The Here & Now (?) 3 Karaoke (?) 4 City Lights (?) 5 Gringo (Ragged and Ruthless) (?) 6 Pictures (?) 7 Revolution (?) 8 Black Gold (?) 9 Show Your Light (?) 10 Coming Home (?) 11 Human (?) 12 Joy (?) 13 Master of My Mind (?) 14 Hot Blood (?) 15 Soul Girl (?) 16 You Got It All (?) 1 Wooden Heart (?) 2 Boy (?) 3 Phase Me (?) 4 Far Out Feeling (?) 5 Sunny Day (?) 6 Manner (?) 7 Tales (?) 8 2cando (?) 9 Bring It On (Path to the Mind and the Soul and the Spirit) (?) 10 Levitation (?) 11 Desert Song (?) 12 Wooden Heart (reprise) (?) 1 Creation (Justin Robertson instrumental) (?) 2 Deep Down & Dirty (Two Lone Swordsmen remix) (?) 3 Everything (Everything Grooves Pt. 2) (?) 4 Fever (Steve Hillage remix) (?) 5 On 33 (Mark the 45 King remix) (?) 6 We Belong in This World Together (Chicken Lips remix) (?) 7 Step It Up (Leftfield remix) (?) 8 On the Mike (Subsonic remix) (?) 9 Disconnected (?) 10 Creation (Slam remix) (?) 11 Connected (Fsol remix) (?) 12 Lost in Music (Us remix) (?) 1 Good Feeling (?) 2 Lets Dance Tonight (?) 3 Autumn Leaves (?) 4 Sweet Talk (?) 5 Breeze (remix) (?) 6 Flash Instrumental (?) 7 The One You Know (demo) (?) 8 The Runaway (?) 9 Whatever Made You (?) 10 Wake Up (?) 11 Intruder (?) 12 City Lights (Autobahn remix) (?) 13 Threshold (?) 14 Rhino Pt 1 (?) 15 Medicine Man (demo) (?) 16 Shameless (demo) (?) |