The Sea and the Bells

The Sea and the Bells is the third studio album by American post-rock band Rachel's. It was released on October 22, 1996 by Quarterstick Records.

The Sea and the Bells
Studio album by Rachel's
Released	October 22, 1996 (1996-10-22)
Recorded	July 1995 – April 1996
Studio	University of Louisville North Recital Hall (Louisville, Kentucky) Chicago Recording Company (Chicago, Illinois) Steve's House of Billiards (Chicago, Illinois) The Juilliard School (New York, New York)
Genre	Post-rock
Length	59:15
Label	Quarterstick
Rachel's chronology
Music for Egon Schiele (1996) The Sea and the Bells (1996) Selenography (1999)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Spin	7/10^[2]

The album was named after and inspired by Pablo Neruda's poetry collection of the same name.^[3]

In 2016, The Sea and the Bells was ranked at number 14 on Paste's list of the best post-rock albums,^[4] while also placing at number 16 on a similar list by Fact.^[5]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Rhine & Courtesan"	Christian Frederickson Rachel Grimes Jason Noble	6:43
2.	"The Voyage of Camille"	Grimes	4:24
3.	"Tea Merchants"	Grimes Noble	4:56
4.	"Lloyd's Register"	Frederickson Grimes Noble	9:49
5.	"With More Air Than Words"	Noble	2:15
6.	"All Is Calm"	Noble	3:20
7.	"Cypress Branches"	Noble	7:44
8.	"The Sirens"	Frederickson	2:21
9.	"Night at Sea"	Noble	3:45
10.	"Letters Home"	Grimes Noble	3:30
11.	"To Rest Near to You"	Noble	2:49
12.	"The Blue-Skinned Waltz"	Frederickson Noble	3:15
13.	"His Eyes"	Frederickson Grimes Noble	4:24

Personnel

According to the album liner notes:^[6]

Rachel's

• Christian Frederickson – viola (1, 2, 4, 6–8, 10, 12, 13), bells (1)
• Rachel Grimes – piano (1, 3, 4, 10, 13), linen sheet (1), conductor (2, 7), vibraphone (6)
• Eve Miller – cello (1, 6), violincello (4, 10, 13)
• Jason Noble – bass (1, 4, 9, 13), vibes (1, 3), linen sheet (1), organ (3), guitars (5, 8, 9, 13), recorders (5), piano (6), tape sounds (7), bells (10), fireworks (11)
• Edward Grimes – drum kit (4, 13)
• Greg King – boatswain

Additional musicians

• Kevin Coultas – drum set (1), timpani (1)
• John Upchurch – clarinet (1, 4, 13), bass clarinet (1, 4, 13), bells (10)
• Robert Weston – bass (1, 4, 13), trumpet (4, 13)
• Thomas Harte – contrabass (2, 7)
• Sarah Hong – cello (2, 7, 12)
• Ann Kim – violin (2, 7, 12)
• Matthew McBride – viola (2, 7, 12)
• Reynard Rott – cello (2, 7, 12)
• Tim Summers – violin (2, 7, 12)
• Jim Maciukenas – musical saw (9)
• John Baker – bells (10)

Technical

• Bob Weston – engineer
• John Loder – mastering
• Greg King – photography and design
• John Noble – photography and design

References

1. Love, Bret. "The Sea and the Bells – Rachel's". AllMusic. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
2. Sutton, Terri (January 1997). "Rachel's: The Sea and the Bells". Spin. Vol. 12, no. 10. p. 88. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
3. "Lost Classics: Rachel's 'The Sea And The Bells'". Magnet. February 27, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
4. Ham, Robert (December 19, 2016). "The 50 Best Post-Rock Albums". Paste. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
5. Bowe, Miles; Horner, Al; Lobenfeld, Claire; Ravens, Chal; Twells, John; Welsh, April Clare; Wilson, Scott (April 20, 2016). "The 30 best post-rock albums of all time". Fact. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
6. "Rachel's – The Sea And The Bells (1996, CD)". Discogs. Retrieved 30 October 2023.