A's, B's & Rarities

Hot Chocolate's A's, B's & Rarities makes a chronological run through the group's singles between 1969 and 1975. Along the way the band released some classic songs like "Brother Louie," "You Sexy Thing," and "Emma," and racked up a considerable amount of U.K. chart hits (less so in the U.S.). Their simple but powerful blend of rock, soul, bubblegummy pop, and proto-disco still sounds revolutionary 30 years later (much as the work of another racially mixed group, the Equals, does) and there are a raft of great songs here, like the rocked-out "Go Go Girl," the low-down and funky "Makin' Music," and the sticky-sweet confections "You Could Have Been a Lady" and "Pretty Girls." A few duds (the tepid "A Man Needs a Woman" and the blatant "Emma" ripoff "Blue Night") and some ill-advised early attempts at reggae keep the disc from really lifting off, but when you get done drying your tears after "Emma" or peeling off your sweat-soaked shirt after boogying your way through the obvious but still transcendent "You Sexy Thing," you'll know you are in the presence of a band that was able to create magic from time to time. To think they did it sporting some truly horrible mustaches makes it all the more remarkable. Although it is missing some big songs from later in their career (most notably "Every 1's a Winner"), this collection is a nice distillation of their early sound and perfect for anyone who wants to avoid the slicker pop group they became in the late '70s and '80s. ~ Tim Sendra