 Among Lennon 's biographers , Ben Urish and Kenneth Bielen view " Instant Karma ! " as " a chiding though positive message for humanity " , while Jon Wiener praises Lennon 's " rich , deep voice " on a recording where the sound is " irresistible " . Philip Norman describes the song as " similar to ' Cold Turkey ' in tempo but far more relaxed and humorous " , adding that Spector 's production gave Lennon 's voice " a taut expressiveness it had not had since ' Norwegian Wood ' " . While noting the significance of the session for George Harrison 's career , author Simon Leng praises the recording as being " full of urgency and sheer excitement " . 
