VARIOUS
As the Olympic torch burns at the Athens Summer Games, this tepid collection will hardly win any medals with listeners. The 16-song set unites artists representing 15 countries and four continents, ranging from Sting and Destiny's Child to Algeria's Cheb Mami and Turkey's Tarkan. In the spirit of togetherness, all but one cut (Avril Lavigne's anemic rendition of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door") are a collaboration between two or more acts. This concept yields some interesting groupings, including Neneh Cherry and Jamaica's Wayne Wonder; Moby and Public Enemy; and, most notably, Lenny Kravitz and Iraq's Kadim Al Sahir (on the antiwar rocker "We Want Peace"). But despite the inspirational themes, most of these tracks are fairly uninspired. One exception is "Issues," a reggae-meets-electronica jam featuring vocals by Britain's Joss Stone.
•DOWNLOAD THIS: "Issues"
