The Ringing Bell

The Ringing Bell
Studio album by Derek Webb
Released	May 1, 2007
Studio	The Smoakstack and Sumner Studio, Nashville, TN
Genre	Rock, singer-songwriter, contemporary Christian music
Length	30:33
Label	INO
Producer	Derek Webb, Cason Cooley
Derek Webb chronology
One Zero (Remix) (2007) The Ringing Bell (2007) The Ampersand EP (2008)

The Ringing Bell (2007) is the fourth solo album release from singer-songwriter Derek Webb. ^[1]

Background

Webb has described the record as a rock record but that "it's fitting that it would be a hard thing to categorize that you couldn't just call it a rock record, that it would be too easy." He also stated that the song "Name" was "probably as close to a thesis as the record has." It carries Webb's theme that "categories in general are not helpful...it's hard to live in a world of categories when really what we need is to know each other and to engage each other and not to let our categories do the talking."

Webb has stated in response to some of his lyrics in "A Love That's Stronger Than Our Fear" and "A Savior on Capitol Hill", which generated talk that Webb was against the George Bush administration, that "I'm not anti-Bush at all...all things considered he deserves the benefit of the doubt and I want to give it to him...This has nothing to do with any specific people." ^[2]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Beyond The Turntable	[4]
CCM Magazine	[5]
Christian Broadcasting Network	[6]
Christianity Today	[7]
Cross Rhythms	[8]
Indie Vision Music	[9]
Jesus Freak Hideout	[10]
Patrol Magazine	[11]
PopMatters	[12]

The Ringing Bell received universally positive reviews from Christian critics. The review site Patrol gave the album a nine on the site's ten-point scale – a record high – praising its "substance." Paste Magazine gave The Ringing Bell a 5 out of 5 and ranked it No. 27 on their Top 100 albums of 2007. ^[13]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The End"	Derek Webb	1:34
2.	"The Very End"	Webb	3:02
3.	"A Love That's Stronger Than Our Fear"	Webb	3:03
4.	"I Wanna Marry You All Over Again"	Webb	3:17
5.	"I Don't Want to Fight"	Webb	3:13
6.	"Name"	Webb	3:39
7.	"Can't Be Without You"	Webb	3:34
8.	"I For An I"	Webb	3:22
9.	"A Savior on Capitol Hill"	Webb	2:04
10.	"This Too Shall Be Made Right"	Webb	3:45
Total length:			30:33

Personnel

Band [14] Derek Webb – vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, Rhodes piano (1), upright and tack piano (1, 2), hand claps (4), noise (1) Cason Cooley – organ (2, 6), percussion (3, 4, 6), upright and tack piano (4, 5, 7), hand claps (4), make out guitar (4), guitar solo (6) Matt Pierson – bass guitar Will Sayles – drums, percussion Additional musicians [14] Ben Shive  – string arrangements (2, 5, 8), Mellotron (2, 8) Jason Fitz – violin (2, 5, 8) Court Clement – electric guitar (4) Gary Burnette – electric guitar (5, 7) Steve Mason – lap steel, electric and slide guitar (8), Leslie guitar (9)

Technical [14] Derek Webb – producer, additional engineer, vocal engineer at Sumner Studio, East Nashville, Tennessee, art direction Cason Cooley – producer, additional engineer at The Smoakstack, Nashville, Tennessee Andy Hunt – engineer at The Smoakstack, Nashville, Tennessee Shane D. Wilson – mixing at Pentavarit, Nashville, Tennessee Jim DeMain – mastering at Yes Master, Nashville, Tennessee Brannon Mcallister – art direction Jeremy Cowart – photography Chris Koelle – illustration Brannon McAllister – design, layout

Charts

Chart (2007)	Peak position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [15]	11
US Christian Albums (Billboard) [16]	15

References

1. "Derek Webb Speaks Out And Is Heard" (June 29, 2007). Press Release. Retrieved January 15, 2008.
3. Jurek, Thom (May 2007). "The Ringing Bell – Derek Webb". AllMusic . Retrieved August 1, 2013.
4. Brandt, Randy (June 23, 2007). "Derek Webb: The Ringing Bell". PopMatters.com. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
5. Lusk, Caroline (May 1, 2007). "In Review: Derek Webb: The Ringing Bell (INO)" (PDF). CCM Magazine . Salem Publishing. p. 54. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
6. Jones, Jennifer E. (May 2007). "Album Reviews Archive". Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
7. Breimeier, Russ (May 1, 2007). "The Ringing Bell – Reviewed by Russ Breimier". Christianity Today. Crosswalk. Archived from the original on September 7, 2009. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
8. McCollum, Alastair (August 1, 2007). "Review: The Ringing Bell – Derek Webb". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
9. Pettersson, Eric (June 5, 2007). "Derek Webb – The Ringing Bell". Indievisionmusic.com. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
10. Taylor, Josh (April 29, 2007). "Derek Webb, "The Ringing Bell" Review". Jesusfreakhideout.com. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
11. Lundy, Stewart (July 13, 2007). "Derek Webb, 'The Ringing Bell' – Patrol – A review of religion and the modern world". Patrolmag.com. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
12. MacNeil, Jason (December 13, 2007). "Derek Webb: The Ringing Bell". PopMatters.com. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
13. "- - - ( INO Records ) - - -". Archived from the original on October 29, 2006.
14. Derek Webb, The Ringing Bell (liner notes), INO Records, 2007
15. "Derek Webb Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard.
16. "Derek Webb Chart History (Christian Albums)". Billboard.