The song "Riegal" was inspired by reading a newspaper article on the wartime sinking of a prison ship, the MS Rigel, when up to 4,000 prisoners drowned. Later histories suggest the number may have been out by 1,000 odd souls, but the sinking remains one of the worst maritime disasters ever and the song is an evocation of the perils of going down to the sea in ships. Rapp does not apportion blame, indeed the lyric gives credit to the German, but probably not Nazi, captain who apparently saved many lives by grounding his ship. Rapp's juxtaposition of stark imagery reveals that while Pearls Before Swine might not have continued the more bombastic direction set about on their earlier protest songs "Uncle John" or "Drop Out," they maintained social and political relevance. The final track, "When The War Began", contains an equally potent message on the futility of war. A single, "The Jeweler" / "Rocket Man" (Reprise 0949), was issued from the album. Additional material from the Nashville sessions was released on the next Pearls Before Swine album, City of Gold. Design The sleeve design shows a late 15th-century French or Flemish tapestry, "The Hunt of the Unicorn: vi, The unicorn is brought to the castle", from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It shows three huntsmen bringing down a unicorn with spears and swords. The sleeve continued the group's approach of using classic art on their album covers, started with their debut album One Nation Underground. Reissues In 2003 The Use Of Ashes was issued on compact disc as part of the Jewels Were the Stars compendium, anthologizing Pearls Before Swine's Reprise Records output. It was again reissued, with These Things Too, as a two-on-one CD by Floating World Records in 2011. Influence A Dutch group formed in 1988 out of the rock band Mekanik Commando took the name "The Use Of Ashes", inspired directly by the Pearls Before Swine album. Track listing The Jeweler (2:48) From the Movie of the Same Name (2:21) Rocket Man (3:06) ("based on a short story by Ray Bradbury") God Save The Child (3:08) ("Elisabeth helped") Song About A Rose (2:21) Tell Me Why (3:43) Margery (3:03) The Old Man (3:16) Riegal (3:13) When the War Began (5:07) All words and music by Tom Rapp Performers Tom Rapp: Vocals, Guitar Elisabeth: Vocals Charlie McCoy: Dobro, Guitar, Bass, Harmonica Norbert Putnam: Bass Kenneth Buttrey: Drums