The Cry Of Love

One of Jimi's best albums

Jimi Hendrix never quite got to finish the new double-album that he had been working on throughout the spring and summer of 1970, a record that was being widely touted as FIRST RAYS OF THE NEW RISING SUN. In the aftermath of his death, Hendrix's somewhat controversial manager Michael Jeffrey requested that the guitarist's long-serving engineer and co-producer Eddie Kramer compile two studio albums using the tracks which had already been recorded - albums which would ultimately be released as THE CRY OF LOVE and RAINBOW BRIDGE (a third collection entitled WAR HEROES would mop up the last remnants of Hendrix's original vision). Working at his new Electric Lady recording facility - outfitted by Kramer to a truly state-of-the-art standard - Hendrix, long-standing drummer Mitch Mitchell and bass player Billy Cox had amassed a treasure trove of new Hendrix compositions, the pick of which Kramer (with assistance from Mitchell) would assemble into THE CRY OF LOVE.Released in the spring of 1971, THE CRY OF LOVE is a thoughfully constructed collection which bears none of the hallmarks that one might associate with that flotilla of cynical, tawdry cash-ins which proliferated in the years following Hendrix's passing. In fact, THE CRY OF LOVE captures Hendrix at the top of his game, with tracks such as the tight funkiness of 'Freedom', the graceful ballad 'Angel' and the dynamic 'In From The Storm' witnessing the guitarist forging a whole new sound that has a kind of ABBEY ROAD-like warmth and richness. Arguably, the only track that does sound a little out of place here is 'My Friend', an impromptu-sounding blues pastiche left over from the ELECTRIC LADYLAND sessions. Otherwise, THE CRY OF LOVE hangs together rather better than the "official" FIRST RAYS OF THE NEW RISING SUN CD, which this listener has always found too sprawling to work as a cohesive whole (it being simply a collection of the tracks Hendrix had completed before his death, rather than the actual finished album Hendrix himself would have no doubt envisaged).Bernie Grundman's remastering for this reissue of THE CRY OF LOVE is very nice indeed, with all that aforementioned recorded richness preserved and, while the booklet contains no additional notes or essay, all of the original artwork has been nicely reproduced across its pages.Perhaps the finest of the posthumous Jimi Hendrix releases, fans who bought the original CRY OF LOVE album back in 1971 will no doubt feel a heart-warming glow at both the sight and sound of its welcome reappearance.

I couldn't get a download of this release years back - just some tacky album that contained some of these tracks - so I'm very happy to now get a download of the album with all the tracks on it and in the correct order. It means something to me because it was Jimi's last studio album and was release after his death. I need to have the proper album, even if it is a download these days, and not a more substandard compilation containing only some of it.Eamonn

Absolutely excellent album, a must for any Hendrix fan.

According to some critics this is the best posthumous album ever, but it is hard to think of many in this category which aren’t bootlegs.This was of course part of what was to be perhaps a double album which was not completed before Jimi’s death. Thus, while there some standout tracks like ‘Angel’ there are others that would not have probably made it onto a finished set, as only about half the songs had been nearly completed by September 1970.Having said that, this is not a bad legacy and is worth a punt if you are a fan of the late, great Jimi Hendrix; though these tracks have also been featured on ‘Voodoo Soup’ and ‘The First rays of the New Rising Sun’.Playing time is a shade over 40 ¼ mins.

I have this as part of a double set with War Heroes on vinyl. While I have kept my vinyl, I never play it so it has been a long time since I have listened to this album. Most would say not his best album but sometimes I find this suits my mood better.

Buy this as an upgrade to your 1992 CD version. It sounds absolutely amazing!!

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