Stacked Up Explained

Stacked Up
Type:studio
Artist:Senser
Cover:Stackedup.jpg
Released:2 May 1994
Genre:
Label:Ultimate
Producer:Haggis
Next Title:Asylum
Next Year:1998

Stacked Up is the debut album by UK rap-rock band Senser.[1] [2] It was released in the UK on 2 May 1994 and entered the national charts at No.4.[3]

It features an eclectic, incendiary cross over of hip hop, rock and psychedelia.

Background

Senser was formed in the late eighties, originally with Kerstin Haigh on lead vocals and, from 1991, Heitham Al-Sayed as the drummer. Al-Sayed moved onto vocal duties when the band covered Public Enemy's "She Watch Channel Zero?!", from that groups influential It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back album.[4]

The band's first two singles, "The Key", released in September 1993, and "Switch", released in March 1994, made the UK Singles Chart Top 50, and garnered rave reviews from both dance and indie reviewers.[3] [4]

The political background in Britain, and the impending passing of the Criminal Justice Act into statute paved the way for a series of politically influenced artists such as the Levellers, the Prodigy, Dreadzone, and Pop Will Eat Itself, and Senser fit into that group with a blend of aggressive hip-hop, thrash metal and psychedelic ambience.[5]

Buoyed by the success of their singles and live performances, Senser released Stacked Up on 2 May 1994.

Critical reception

The Guardian wrote that the album "is an aggressive, schizophrenic beast, ranging from the lazy acid dub of 'The Key' to the thrash-metal overdrive of 'Eject'."[6] The Record opined that Senser "weld thrash, metal, and hip-hop into an ungainly, unlikeable contraption."[7]

Track listing

All songs written by Senser unless otherwise indicated

  1. "States of Mind" – 5:10
  2. "The Key" – 5:22
  3. "Switch" – 4:33
  4. "Age of Panic" – 4:08
  5. "What's Going On" – 5:07
  6. "One Touch One Bounce" – 3:24
  7. "Stubborn" – 5:46
  8. "Door Game" – 6:39
  9. "Peanut Head" – 5:40
  10. "Peace" (Senser, Tim Morton) – 5:50
  11. "Eject" – 5:19
  12. "No Comply" – 2:37
  13. "Worth" – 3:04

Personnel

Singles

YearSingleChartPosition
1993"The Key"UK Top 4047[8]
1994"Switch"UK Top 4039[9]
1994"Age of Panic"UK Top 4052[10]

Chart performance

Stacked Up was released in the UK on 2 May 1994. In its first week it entered the UK Album Chart at number 4. It gradually dropped down the charts and was last seen at number 64 on 7 September, a total of five weeks altogether.[3] Stacked Up achieved sales in excess of 400,000 copies.

Notes and References

  1. News: Sinclair . David . Pop Albums: Records . The Times . 12 Mar 1994 . Features.
  2. Bennun . David . Love 'em or Heitham — Stacked Up by Senser . Melody Maker . 23 Apr 1994 . 71 . 16 . 30.
  3. Web site: SENSER full Official Chart History. 6 May 2013. The Official Charts Company. 3 September 2016.
  4. Web site: Senser . . 10 April 2009.
  5. Web site: Senser live review . BBC Birmingham . 10 April 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121114041610/http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/content/articles/2006/09/15/senser_feature.shtml . 14 November 2012 . dead .
  6. News: Taylor . Sam . A rap of our own: Sam Taylor finds signs in four new albums of a distinctive, indigenous rap scene in Britain . The Guardian . 10 Apr 1994 . Review.
  7. News: Weiler . Derek . Stacked Up . The Record . 22 Sep 1994 . D8.
  8. Web site: Senser – "The Key" . The Official Charts Company . 2 May 2012.
  9. Web site: Senser – "Switch" . The Official Charts Company . 2 May 2012.
  10. Web site: Senser – "Age of Panic" . The Official Charts Company . 2 May 2012.