Rainy Sundays... Windy Dreams is Andy Irvine's first solo album, produced by Dónal Lunny and recorded at Dublin's Windmill Lane Studios in late 1979. It was released in January 1980 by Tara Records.

Andy Irvine's first solo album showcased songs and tunes from two of his main influences: side one (on the vinyl LP) featured pieces inspired by the Irish tradition, while side two luxuriated in Balkan music played by adventurous Irish musicians of the time.

The album opens with a trilogy of songs ("The Emigrants"), comprising: "The Green Fields Of Amerikay" (which Irvine learnt from Len Graham), "Farewell To Old Ireland" (Irvine's adaptation of "The Emigrant's Farewell", H743 from Sam Henry's collection) and "Edward Connors" (which Irvine learnt from Eddie Butcher of Magilligan, County Londonderry).

Then comes "The Longford Weaver" (H745 in Sam Henry's, where it is also known as "Long Cookstown" or "Nancy Whiskey"); it segues into "Christmas Eve" (reel).

The Irish set concludes with "Farewell To Balleymoney" (H615 in Sam Henry's collection).

The Balkan set begins with "Romanian Song (Blood and Gold)", based on a Romanian song collected by Béla Bartók, re-written by Irvine and Jane Cassidy and set to the music of a Bulgarian dance tune in the 'paidushka' rhythm of 5
16; the song then segues into "Paidushko Horo", an extensive collection of musical phrases borrowed from Bulgarian dance tunes in the same rhythm and performed at breakneck speed.

"King Bore And The Sandman", in mixed rhythms of 6
8, 9
8 and 4
4, is Irvine's energetic lament about his times in Bucharest and "dedicated to the man, in the public house, we are always trying to avoid".

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Wikipedia