Audio CD review:
Various Artists, John Lennon - Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur

Various Artists, John Lennon - Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur

Band: Various Artists, John Lennon Title: Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur Rating: Release Date: 12 June, 2007 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Instant Karma -- U2 2: #9 Dream -- R.E.M. 3: Mother -- Christina Aguilera 4: Give Peace A Chance -- Aerosmith with Sierra Leone Refuge All-Stars 5: Cold Turkey -- Lenny Kravitz 6: Whatever Gets You Through the Night -- Los Lonely Boys 7: I'm Losing You -- Corinne Bailey Rae 8: Gimme Some Truth -- Jakob Dylan Feat. Dhani Harrison 9: Oh, My Love -- Jackson Browne 10: Imagine -- Avril Lavigne 11: Nobody Told Me -- Big & Rich 12: Jealous Guy -- Youssou N'Dour 13: Working Class Hero -- Green Day 14: Power to the People -- Black Eyed Peas 15: Imagine -- Jack Johnson 16: Beautiful Boy -- Ben Harper 17: Isolation -- Snow Patrol 18: Watching the Wheels -- Matisyahu 19: Grow Old With Me -- Postal Service 20: Gimme Me Some Truth -- Jaguares 21: (Just Like) Starting Over -- The Flaming Lips 22: God -- Jack's Mannequin feat. Mick Fleetwood 23: Real Love -- Regina Spektor

Editoral Review If alive, he could well be at the forefront of bringing peace to Darfur, where more than half a million have died from violence and disease during four years of rebel discord. John Lennon would have turned 67 in 2007. So to create awareness of the ongoing conflict, Amnesty International (with permission from Yoko Ono) has mined Lennon's solo work and rounded up nearly two dozen current artists to reinterpret the music, which spans the ex-Beatle's entire post-band catalog (plus a pair from while the Fab Four were still in business). As with any attempt to cover Beatles-related music, results are hit and miss, with kudos going to Snow Patrol and the Postal Service for capturing the starkness of "Isolation" and "Grow Old with Me," respectively, Mexican rock band Jaguares for uncovering the fear and fury in "Gimme Some Truth," and (surprise!) Christina Aguilera for nailing the complex composition and mood of "Mother. " Other highlights include Jackson Browne's piano-led "Oh My Love," Green Day's louder straight take on "Working Class Hero," and the Black Eyed Peas turning "Power to the People" into a gospelly protest. Will resurrecting 30-to-40-year-old messages of peace and love be enough to help end the brutalities in Darfur? That remains to be seen. But selecting John Lennon as the author of those messages will make people listen and, with this collection, may keep them listening. --Scott Holter .. You can see a complete list of all Various Artists, John Lennon discography, or go back to the Various Artists, John Lennon tabs