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The Small Price of a Bicycle
Studio album by The Icicle Works
Released	September 1985
Recorded	1984–1985
Genre	Post-punk, new wave, neo-psychedelia
Length	44:45
Label	Beggars Banquet
Producer	Hugh Jones Wally Brill The Icicle Works Geoff Muir
The Icicle Works chronology
The Icicle Works (1984) The Small Price of a Bicycle (1985) If You Want to Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song (1987)
Singles from The Small Price of a Bicycle
"Hollow Horse" Released: 5 October 1984 "All the Daughters" Released: 10 May 1985 "Seven Horses" Released: 5 July 1985

The Small Price of a Bicycle is the second studio album by The Icicle Works. The album was released in 1985 and charted at number 55 in the UK Despite the success of the band's first album in North America, it was not released in either the US or Canada, with Arista Records in the US memorably rejecting it as "punk-rock demos".

In Canada, an early version of the track "Book of Reason" was released by Vertigo Records on their 1984 Vertigo Sampler 2-LP set, with a note that the track was from the forthcoming Icicle Works LP. However, the LP never actually appeared; instead, Vertigo Canada issued a 5-track EP called Seven Horses Deep. This EP included the so-called "American Version" of "Seven Horses" (which was never actually issued in the US), the single version of "All The Daughters", and the previously issued UK b-sides "(Let's Go) Down to the River", "Beggars Legacy" and "Goin' Back".

In 2011, Cherry Red Records issued a 3-CD expanded edition of The Small Price of a Bicycle. Disc 1 featured the original album in its entirety, while discs 2 and 3 featured a wealth of related demos, b-sides, radio sessions, live tracks, remixes and unreleased session outtakes.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Sounds

The album was reviewed by Roger Holland for the music magazine Sounds where it received a perfect score of five stars out of five. Holland wrote that The Small Price of a Bicycle was "a very fine album" and praised its "combinations of exuberant young rock rhythms and enchanting, inspiring vocals".

Track listing

UK Edition

All tracks composed by Ian McNabb; except where indicated

1. "Hollow Horse" (McNabb, Chris Layhe) – 4:00
2. "Perambulator" (McNabb, Chris Layhe) – 4:02
3. "Seven Horses" – 4:12
4. "Rapids" – 4:32
5. "Windfall" – 4:13
6. "Assumed Sundown" – 5:53
7. "Saint's Sojourn" – 4:33
8. "All the Daughters (Of Her Father's House)" – 4:40
9. "Book of Reason" – 3:45
10. "Conscience of Kings" – 4:48

2011 Expanded Edition

Personnel

The Icicle Works

• Robert Ian McNabb – guitar, lead vocals, keyboards
• Chris Layhe – bass, backing vocals, keyboards, violin
• Chris Sharrock – drums, percussion

References

1. "Music Week" (PDF).
2. "Music Week" (PDF).
3. "Music Week" (PDF).
4. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 266. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
5. "Merseybeasts".
6. "The Small Price of a Bicycle - the Icicle Works | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
7. Sutton, Michael. "The Small Price of a Bicycle – The Icicle Works | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
8. "Icicle Works Review".

• 1985 albums
• The Icicle Works albums
• Albums produced by Hugh Jones (producer)
• Beggars Banquet Records albums