Various artists and John Lennon

In an effort to eradicate the ongoing genocide in Darfur, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Amnesty International put out a double-disc set chock-full of some of the biggest names in Western pop. Instant Karma flows seamlessly from track to track, through social circles and over generation gaps, rubbing shoulders with household names such as U2, R.E.M., Green Day, Matisyahu, Christina Aguilera, Aerosmith, Black Eyed Peas and even Avril Lavigne – hey, we didn’t say these were the best names in pop, just the biggest. So what makes this different than your average PBS telethon? All the artists put their personal spin on classic tunes from the embodiment of good karma himself, Mr. John Lennon. And if you’re still not sure what all the Darfur hubbub is about, read the booklet and find out. It’s a double, no, triple whammy. 4 stars