Big Wheel by Icehouse

Big Wheel

by Icehouse

Released: October 25, 1993

Rock

musicOnOff editorial

Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Breakthrough.

01

The Album

The album's sound represented a significant shift from the synth-pop Icehouse was known for in the 1980s to a more guitar-driven sound. Despite this, it remains a significant part of the band's discography and showcases their continuing evolution as artists. "Big Wheel" is an album by the Australian rock band Icehouse, released in November 1993.

Stories and details

Interesting Facts

The Album was released under dIVA Records label…

The Album was released under dIVA Records label for Australia and New Zealand and under Massive Records label for US, which is a subsidiary of Warner Music Australia.

The total length of the album is 56…

The total length of the album is 56 minutes and 44 seconds and consists of 12 tracks.

The title track, "Big Wheel," along with "Satellite"…

The title track, "Big Wheel," along with "Satellite" and "Invisible People" are some of the notable songs that explain the social issues.

"Big Wheel," talks about singer Davies' thoughts about…

"Big Wheel," talks about singer Davies' thoughts about greed and morality, while "Invisible People" talks about homeless people living in Sydney.

The cover art, featuring a big wheel with…

The cover art, featuring a big wheel with an artillery gun, was designed by Davies and Michelle Nugent.

Then

Reception

Despite critical praise for its mature songwriting and sound, Big Wheel did not achieve the same commercial success as Icehouse's previous albums. This was the band's ninth album and it peaked at # 49 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Several guest musicians appeared on the album, including ARIA award-winning singer Wendy Matthews and renowned saxophonist James Valentine, among others.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

"Big Wheel" is an album by the Australian rock band Icehouse, released in November 1993. The Album was released under dIVA Records label for Australia and New Zealand and under Massive Records label for US, which is a subsidiary of Warner Music Australia.

This was the band's ninth album and it peaked at # 49 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The total length of the album is 56 minutes and 44 seconds and consists of 12 tracks. The album's sound represented a significant shift from the synth-pop Icehouse was known for in the 1980s to a more guitar-driven sound.

The title track, "Big Wheel," along with "Satellite" and "Invisible People" are some of the notable songs that explain the social issues. "Big Wheel," talks about singer Davies' thoughts about greed and morality, while "Invisible People" talks about homeless people living in Sydney.

Several guest musicians appeared on the album, including ARIA award-winning singer Wendy Matthews and renowned saxophonist James Valentine, among others. The cover art, featuring a big wheel with an artillery gun, was designed by Davies and Michelle Nugent.

The band promoted the album with the Big Wheel Tour in Australia and New Zealand in 1994. Despite critical praise for its mature songwriting and sound, Big Wheel did not achieve the same commercial success as Icehouse's previous albums. Despite this, it remains a significant part of the band's discography and showcases their continuing evolution as artists.

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