Man to Man

Album Review

Although Hot Chocolate's self-titled second album contained the playful, lighthearted smash "You Sexy Thing," much of the record was serious-minded and message-oriented. But with its third LP, Man to Man, the British band decided to provide more of a party album. Most of this 1976 release isn't sociopolitical, and infectious funk grooves like "Heaven Is in the Back Seat of My Cadillac," "Sugar Daddy," and "You Could've Been a Lady" are clearly aimed at the dancefloor. Not that everything on Man to Man is an uptempo party jam; the title song is a poignant ballad, while the relaxed, slightly David Bowie-ish "Seventeen Years of Age" is a thoughtful description of how a teen-age girl makes the transition from adolescence to womanhood. The latter points to the fact that while the distinctive Hot Chocolate were primarily a soul-funk band, they knew how to use rock and pop influences to their creative advantage. Unfortunately, this decent to excellent LP wasn't a big seller in the U.S., where Hot Chocolate were definitely underrated.