The Cry of Love

Released on 5 March 1971, six months after his death, it was produced by Hendrix, Kramer and Mitchell, with Michael Jeffery as executive producer. It is made up mostly of recordings Hendrix made in 1970 at Electric Lady Studios in New York with Mitchell and Cox. About half of the ten songs were nearly finished, with mixes prepared by Hendrix, and the rest were mixed and in some cases overdubbed after his death. Dolly Dagger and Room Full of Mirrors were held for Rainbow Bridge and replaced by Straight Ahead and My Friend. Hendrix wrote every song.

Guests include Steve Winwood and Chris Wood on backing vocals and Buddy Miles on drums for Ezy Ryder, and Buzzy Linhart on vibraphone for Drifting. Hendrix played the bass on My Friend, although the sleeve credits Noel Redding.

It entered the US chart at 17 and reached three, and it reached two in Britain. The RIAA certified it platinum in 1998. Rolling Stone's Lenny Kaye called it a beautiful, poignant testimonial in 1971, and Christgau called it an excellent testament. Ritchie Unterberger argued that it cannot be counted as the fourth studio album Hendrix would have made, because it was a single disc rather than the double LP he had in mind. All ten songs were later collected on First Rays of the New Rising Sun in 1997.