Cameron Crowe’s “We Bought a Zoo” Mix Tape

Arclight in Hollywood and it’s an advance screening of Cameron Crowe’s latest film, his first in some time.

As a music lover, “Almost Famous” will ALWAYS hold a place in my heart. Especially the scene with “Tiny Dancer”, it kills me every time.

Music plays a major role in “We Bought a Zoo” too, whether it’s the gorgeous, soaring score Sigur Ros frontman Jonsi created (did you know that Cameron first discovered Sigur Ros while listening to Morning Becomes Eclectic? True story!) or great tracks like Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl” and Temple of the Dog’s “Hunger Strike”.

The movie is a fun, yet emotional, ride starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson. To convince Matt to join the cast, Cameron sent him a mix tape to give him an idea of the tone.

I can understand why. It would have been really easy to make this a cheesy movie – a family in crisis doing something wildly adventurous (buying a dilapidated zoo!). But it’s not cheesy, not at all. It feels very real. (And the animals are fun to watch too.)

Kim Masters, who hosts The BusinessKCRW on , got her hands on the playlist Cameron used to woo Matt (who is incredible, by the way). Check it out below and read the story she wrote for the Hollywood Reporter here.

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Mix for Matt:

1. Save It for Later … Pete Townshend

2. I’m Open (Live) … Eddie Vedder

3. War of Man (Live) … Neil Young

4. Soul Boy … The Blue Nile

5. Mohammed’s Radio … Jackson Browne

6. Sanganichi … Shugo Tokumaru

7. Airline to Heaven … Wilco

8. Buckets of Rain … Bob Dylan

9. The Heart of the Matter (Live) … Don Henley

10. I Will Be There When You Die … My Morning Jacket

11. Ain’t No Sunshine … Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers

12. Child of the Moon … Rolling Stones

13. If I Am a Stranger … Ryan Adams

14. Concrete Sky … Beth Orton

15. Helpless (Live) … Neil Young

16. Don’t Be Shy (no piano) … Cat Stevens

17. Nerstrand Woods … Mark Olson And The Creekdippers