Some people think of
Hot Chocolate as a Euro-disco band, but most of its recordings can't be lumped in with the Euro-disco of
the Silver Convention,
Cerrone, or
Giorgio Moroder.
Hot Chocolate was primarily a soul/funk band, although the Londoners didn't hesitate to incorporate elements of pop/rock (
David Bowie was an influence) and Afro-Caribbean music. Released in 1979,
Going Through the Motions was a departure for
Hot Chocolate in that it found the band making a conscious effort to appeal to Euro-disco audiences.
Hot Chocolate's previous albums might have had the occasional Euro-disco item, but this time, the Euro-disco style is dominant.
Moroder-style synthesizers are prominent, and tunes like "Dance (Get Down to It)," "I Just Love What You're Doing," and "Mindless Boogie" are obviously club-minded. Thankfully, most of the material has heart. "Dance (Get Down to It)" is rather stiff and mechanical, but
Hot Chocolate's soulful, gritty inclinations prevail on "Night Ride," "Mindless Boogie," and "I Just Love What You're Doing," all of which are rewarding. "Mindless Boogie," in fact, is brilliant, not to mention very ironic. Back in the late '70s, the death-to-disco crowd frequently described disco as "mindless boogie" -- and it wasn't a compliment. On the surface, "Mindless Boogie" might seem like a typically escapist Euro-disco number, but the gem actually has a socio-political message. Mentioning events like the nuclear arms race and the Jonestown Massacre, "Mindless Boogie" concludes that because the world is such a mess, music is the drug that people use as an escape.
Going Through the Motions isn't without its shortcomings, but all things considered, it's an LP that the British soulsters can be proud of.