The Small Price of a Bicycle

The Small Price of a Bicycle
Studio album by The Icicle Works
Released	1 September 1985
Recorded	1984–1985
Genre	Post-punk, new wave, neo-psychedelia
Length	44:45
Label	Beggars Banquet (U.K.) Chrysalis Records (U.S.)
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 Icicle Works
"Hollow Horse" Released: September 1984 "All the Daughters (Of Her Father's House)" Released: May 1985 "Seven Horses" Released: 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 unreleased in both the US and 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 forthcame; 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

2011 Expanded Edition (Disc 2)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Hollow Horse" (Long Version)
2.	"Book of Reason" (USA Long Version)
3.	"All the Daughters"
4.	"A Pocketful of Nothing"
5.	"Mr. Soul"
6.	"When You Hear The Mission Bells"
7.	"Seven Horses" (American Version)
8.	"Slingshot"
9.	"Beggars Legacy"
10.	"Goin' Back"
11.	"When It All Comes Down"
12.	"(Let's Go) Down to the River"
13.	"Cold Turkey"
14.	"Seven Horses" (Early Recording)
15.	"Perambulator" (Early Recording)
16.	"Assumed Sundown" (Early Recording)
17.	"Beggars Legacy"

2011 Expanded Edition (Disc 3)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"When It All Comes Down" (Abridged Version)
2.	"Saints Sojourn"
3.	"Hollow Horse"
4.	"Deep in the Woods"
5.	"Conscience of Kings"
6.	"When You Hear the Mission Bells"
7.	"Perambulator"
8.	"All the Daughters (Of Her Father's House)"
9.	"Diamond in the Rough"
10.	"Impossibly Three Lovers"
11.	"Seven Horses" (Live)
12.	"Perambulator" (Live)
13.	"Rapids" (Live)
14.	"Hollow Horse" (Live)
15.	"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" (Live)

Personnel

The Icicle Works

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