Did any musician have more talent at their beck and call during the '70s than Linda Ronstadt? Absolutely not. Part of her impeccable string of mid-1970s albums that defined California’s soft-rock scene, the Grammy-winning Hasten Down the Wind is Ronstadt at her best—and that’s saying something. Consider the watertight repertoire: The Warren Zevon title track. Patsy Cline’s (by way of Willie Nelson) "Crazy", Buddy Holly’s "That’ll Be the Day", Nelson’s "Down So Low", Karla Bonoff’s "If He’s Ever Near", and Ry Cooder’s "The Tattler".
And then, there’s the supporting cast, which includes Eagles legend Don Henley on drums and harmony vocals, folk-rock legend Peter Asher on guitar, session drumming master Russ Kunkel, and multi-instrumentalist sensation Andrew Gold playing just about everything with strings or skins. Couple this with the thematically revealing cover—in a nod to the escapism of fantasy romance novels, the singer stands on a beach before an ocean and a running horse, her exposing dress a sign of the lovesick vulnerability that colors the songs—and Hasten Down the Wind is the complete package of sensuality, passion, and poignancy.
Now, due to Mobile Fidelity’s trademark sonic restoration, the album finally has the exquisite sound it has always deserved. Listeners can now literally feel Ronstadt’s deep-seeded emotions. Even better, her covers of affecting ballads and midtempo country-rock numbers intentionally revolve around vocal-heavy arrangements. It’s no wonder that the album, which topped the country charts, also yielded two Top 20 hits and resulted in the artist’s first platinum-record award.