As its title suggests, this was the first album released after the group's initial split in 1975 (although Dónal Lunny and Christy Moore had resigned, separately, earlier).

The album was produced by Lunny and engineered by Brian Masterson, who had worked with the band since their earliest shows.

[1]: 262–263  It is the first of two albums to feature future Chieftains member Matt Molloy on flute, who had earlier been playing with Lunny in The Bothy Band.

[3] The album closes with the Bulgarian dance tune "Smeceno Horo" brought to the group by Irvine, who has called it "the closest I ever got to melding two traditions together".

[1]: 266 All titles credited to Christy Moore, Dónal Lunny, Andy Irvine, Matt Molloy and Liam O'Flynn.