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

classic songs with a fresh twist

it is obvious it is lennons music that makes this concept work the artists are suited to the songs the choice of songs also suit the mission for Darfur if i wanted it to sound just like lennon i could have bought another lennon cd i have the ability to enjoy this without over-anaylizing and picking the artists apart.ALL the artists involved had their HEARTS in the right place and it does show. August 10, 2008

Weak Representations of Lennon Works

So I bought the triple disc edition of this to great disappointment.
First of all, who ever had the bright idea of letting Lavigne do anything on this record is a joke, and needs to be taken away and forced to listen to her music until his head explodes.
For the most part, the covers are weak. There are a few decent tracks, like The Postal Service, Regina Spektor, Green Day, and Ben Harper songs, but U2? Give me a break!
I would buy this album for the charity and goodwill it brings, as well as for the image and meaningfulness of the late John Lennon, to make sure that it never dies, but apart from that, it is just another in a long line if crappy tribute albums. May 29, 2008

Average Karma

This CD was disappointing. When you look at the list of artists: U2, REM, Snow Patrol, Jack Johnson, Postal Service, Ben Harper, Green Day, Jakob Dylan, and more, you think you are going to get a great album. But it's average at best. I loved the U2 and REM songs at the beginning, but even some of the artists I liked didn't do a great job. Definitely more misses than hits. I will admit that I didn't know any of these songs, except Imagine, so I'm not sure how faithful these covers are to the original. But they felt very bland. Luckily, I checked this CD out from the library, so I didn't waste any $$$. Of course, I guess it wouldn't be wasting since proceeds would go to a good cause, but you catch my drift. April 15, 2008

A Worthy Cause, but Unworthy Renditions....

There is one thing that this collection makes abundantly clear: Lennon was a master ARRANGER above everything else. It seems no one could do it like John. With only a few exceptions, the artists paying tribute here seem uncomprehending of the melodic perfection John bestowed upon his creations, thus giving them their power.

I'm sorry to say that the majority of these renditions are beyond butchered. Now, I'm well aware that for a collection like 'Instant Karma' to work, the artists had to stamp their own style on their particular cover, which is what they did. To my experienced ears, however, only a small number succeeded in doing this properly.

-------The good ones-------

1.)Los Lonely Boys - 'Whatever Gets You Through the Night':
A great example of how to keep in tune with the original melody and at the same time evoke a sound similar to your own creation, in this case, 'How Far Is Heaven?'. Well done boyos!

2.)Green Day - 'Working Class Hero':
Same as above.

3.) Snow Patrol - 'Isolation':
I LOVED this cover, especially how they reworked the lonely and solitary piano line into fast acoustic playing, making the song just as ominous as the original but in a new way. My only complaint is that they skip some lyrics "you're just a human, a victim of the insane". Why?

4.) Matisyahu - 'Watching the Wheels':
A very worthy cover.

5.) The Flaming Lips - '(Just Like) Starting Over':
This is the perfect band to cover this song. Wayne's voice is perfect for it. Very well done.

6.) Regina Spektor - 'Real Love':
Much like 'Isolation', this tune is so uniquely beautiful that any rendition may suffice. She has a nice voice and I'm tempted to check out her own work.

---The bad ones---

1.) The Postal Service - 'Grow Old With Me'
No amount of apology is sufficient for what was done to this gem. This is my favorite John song, his most moving and tear inducing. But this group saw fit to turn it into an electronic funeral dirge that makes one want to jump off a bridge. What a wasted opportunity!

2.) Jakob Dylan - 'Gimme Some Truth':
Dylan apparently can't grasp the anger and power of the original. No wonder, he doesn't sound like he has a vitriolic bone in his body. That is usually a good thing, but not when it comes to covering songs DRIPPING with it. Bleh.

3.) Jaguares - 'Gimme Some Truth':
TWO covers of this mighty song on this album, and still no real anger! Come on folks, you'll never save Darfur with this half-***edness!

That leaves the rest, which I can only describe as good efforts, but just off-tune or off emotionally to keep them from being truly worthy covers. In conclusion, I think this album demonstrates that modern artists need to take a MUCH closer listen to Lennon's production values. Therein lies the power that changed the world once......

p.s, Why didn't anyone cover 'Love', 'Nobody Loves You When You're Down and Out', 'Remember', or 'Free As a Bird'?
April 8, 2008

Instant Karma

LOVE IT !

I pick out and feel a differant emotion from each artist every time I listen.

Liking it better each time! March 28, 2008

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