Released on the Impulse label in 1969, Albert Ayler's album Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe was entirely written by Ayler's partner, Mary Maria Parks. Along with The Last Album, which contains outtakes from the same session, this was Ayler's last studio album (he would die in November of 1970). According to AllMusic reviewer Al Campbell, this "is a powerful and often ignored recording from the Albert Ayler catalog. It is a prophetic statement dealing with guilt, confusion, sorrow, and hopes of redemption. While not easy listening, it provides an important portrait of a man facing a life and death inner struggle beyond the boundaries of jazz."