Robert Pattinson’s playlist = the way to my heart

Because I can, I'm posting the BEARD picture

Dear Rob-

Since I don’t think I can find anything new to talk about regarding the Remember Me set and I’m pretty sure you’re over it yourself, let’s talk my favorite thing… and I’m pretty sure it just might be your favorite thing too! What am I talking about Robbie dear? Why MUSIC of course. The reason for being, the reason I get up in the morning (besides you of course), the thing I obsess over the most (besides you of course), what makes the world go ’round. Can you tell I enjoy music from time to time?

So anyhoo I’ve been wanting to talk about your iTunes celeb playlist for some time now and today’s the day, I’ve decided.

If you know anything about me you know I love a good mix. It’s how I show my love and it’s how I spread the word about music I think other people should hear. Making a mix is a BIG deal to me… much time, thought and consideration goes into making a mix. What’s the tone or the theme you’re going for, how will you start it, how will you end it and what are you trying to say by the time the mix is over? Not all people are this much of a freak about a mix but I am and I feel you might be too just from what you decided to include on here. I gotta say I’m slightly impressed, especially in comparison to your costars choices, besides Jackson’s, the others were downright embarrassing. So let’s mull this one over a bit, shall we?

01.  C-Jam Blues by Oscar Peterson – “What I learned how to play blues riffs from. Peterson was the best”

Moon: I gotta say I didn’t know where you were going with this one… you’re really starting off a mix with this? But I guess it worked cause it made me wonder where the heck you were going after this and I had to find out. It also made me wonder where did you hear this kind of music? Does Dick listen to jazz in the garage?

02. Solid Sender by John Lee Hooker – “If I could have a song as a wife…”

Moon: *le sigh* If I could have you as a husband… whew… ok, ok… back to reality. Let’s back up a second… when I first read this playlist it was pretty early on in my fandom and I didn’t know much about anyone so I went online to OD on any news I could locate, so I found out the cast did iTunes celeb playlists and of course I headed straight there because I think you can tell a lot about a person by what they listen to. So I read the others playlists and wasn’t surprised for the most part, then I got to yours and this song and it was at this point in the mix than I knew you were something special. Cause this song is SO hot and randoms don’t just put John Lee Hooker in their playlist OR say something about making a song their wife. Let’s just say I was a smitten kitten.

Think you can handle more? Take the cut to see what else Rob has to offer us in his playlist

03. Soft by Kings of Leon – “I’ve always thought that I really relate to the lyrics of this even though I don’t really know what they are. I love the singer’s enunciation in all their songs. They are pretty much the only modern band I can say I am a fan of.”

Moon: Really, Rob? Really? You’re either the most self-deprecating person EVER or you’re a comedian because you’re saying you can relate to lyrics about a flaccid penis.

This is a funny follow up to quite arguably one of the hottest songs ever. Go from a raging sex-fest of a song to a diddy about not being able to get hard. NICE! Also this makes me think of when UC and I  became real friends cause Aha Shake Heartbreak had come out and we loved it. OH Rob, it’s like you know everything about us…

04. Cold Sweat by James Brown – “This song hits me just as hard every time I’ve heard it since I was a little kid and listened to James Brown on the way to school.”

Moon: What the hell kinda car pool were you in? Were all the mom’s crazy sexed-up milf kittens driving little kids around in their station wagons in cut offs and tank tops? If this was Clare driving than I want her to drive me everywhere cause Cold Sweat is the jam!

At this point in your mix I think you might be some kind of repressed sexual deviant because all these songs are like hot sex and this is why you’ll be in charge of making the sexy time mixes in our house. Thanks.

05. Dean by Terry Reid – “I love Terry Reid. I love the schizophrenic decisions he makes towards the end of the song when he’s choosing what notes to sing. Terry Reid was just one of those guys like James Brown who when they got into a groove, it just seemed like they’d want to keep singing the same line, let alone the same song, all night.”

Moon: Now here’s where you get to school me in your mix cause I’ve never heard of Terry Reid and that doesn’t usually happen often but that just means I get to go off and Wiki and research someone new. I love your quote about being in the groove because we used to talk about this in my music classes and at music school (holla UC!) and it was called being downlow and in the groove. It’s about being so present in the song so much ‘in the pocket’ that everything’s just hitting perfectly and there’s no desire to leave from that groove for a while. This is a nice middle track choice.

06. One Mo’gin by D’Angelo – “I love D’Angelo. I used to always try and sing like him when I was younger and embarrassingly fail. I like his pronunciation when he sings. I think when you try and write lyrics and you think there is no way the listener will figure out what you’re saying or what you mean, you write much more honestly. I think.”

Moon: Seriously? Seriously? D’ANGELO?!You’re just teasing me now. Of all the things I thought you would put on a mix this is the last thing I would have picked. I don’t know why but it just adds another wrinkle to the enigma that is Rob. That’s why this is the perfect pick for the smack dab middle of your mix. Voodoo is an amazing album and this song is SO HOT. Read these lyrics people.

But can we back up and talk about what you say about pronunciation? You quite obviously have a thing for pronunciation as you’ve cited it twice in this mix and also talked to Haley Williams about how she pronounced “here” when you guys interviewed each other. It interests me that you think you have to be unintelligible when you sing or write lyrics to be more honest. Isn’t that the point of being a singer/songwriter? To strip it all away and be completely open and honest in your performance and then let people interpret what you’ve written for themselves? Thoughts? Can we discuss this one more?

Damn now I wanna listen to some “How Does it Feel?”

Listen to Blue Monday People here
07. Blue Monday People by Curtis Mayfield – “Got inspired by putting D’Angelo on. This whole album is amazing. The production on it is incredible. A really interesting album which not a lot of people listen to. Don’t know why”

Moon: You weren’t joking Rob, there’s like NO embeddable version of this song anywhere on the net. Sorry folks. Buy this one though cause Curtis Mayfield knows how to bring the funk. Trust!

08. Brown Trout Blues by Johnny Flynn – “I grew up with some amazing musicians in London who are still my friends. Marcus Foster, Bobby Long and Sam Bradley are recording their albums now, but Johnny Flynn completed his one a while ago. I just saw him play in LA and he was incredible. But he’s always been incredible so I can’t say I was surprised. Get this album its great and no one else does music like him at all.”

Moon: I’m starting to wonder what’s in the water in Barnes/London cause all these boys have such a similar sound, influences and style. What radio was playing? What record store did they frequent? Cause their influences are decidedly old skool blues, soul, jazz, American south, singer/songwriter. I’m continually surprised by the talent that’s come out of this one place.

(moon bonus vid: check out johnny (holy crap he’s cute!) and laura marling duet)

09. Ambulance Blues by Neil Young – “One of the most moving songs ever written or recorded. I used to listen to the line ‘I guess I’ll call it sickness gone’ on repeat for hours when I wanted to try and write something.”

Moon: I never really “got” the whole Neil Young thing. Then I saw him with Crosby, Stills, Nash (and Young) a year or so ago and GOT it. He’s a really great lyricist and his voice is quite oddball but I think there’s just something even more special sometimes about people who choose to make their living from their voice even when it’s not what the general public would call “pretty” or “good.”

(not the King Curtis version, this is the original)
10. A Whiter Shade of Pale by King Curtis – “Just a beautiful song. Reminds me of Withnail and I.”

Moon: Such a stupid, beautiful song with such an iconic melody line. This is the kind of stuff you slow dance to with your sweetie in the garden in the summer after dinner.

(Add to your Netflix queue Withnail and I)

(the scene he talks about in Prenom Carmen)
11. Ruby’s Arms by Tom Waits – “My favorite Tom Waits song. I cry almost every time I hear it. Plays over an amazing scene in one of my favorite movies too – Prenom Carmen.”

Moon: Another unique voice-d guy. I love Tom Waits and this is classic sad Tom music. Such a great pick to follow up Whiter Shade of Pale.

12. (First) Essay for Orchestra, Op. 12 by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra – This song just hurts, it’s so beautiful.”

Moon: Didn’t see this one coming. Going for the classical song, one track from the end… interesting move… don’t know if it would have been my choice but I think it works when you go from the sad Waits tune to the I can’t live without you song of TB Sheets

Go listen to TB Sheets here
13. T.B. Sheets by Van Morrison – “Only Van Morrison can do a performance like this. No one else has come close.”

Moon: This song still freaks me out. I think I first heard it back in music school and it was so haunting and spooky that it would keep me up at night. This is the song you hear when some weirdo is following you out of a bar, through an alley to your home. Running. So crazy. I wanna give Van a kiss on the cheek for it.

Earlier I was talking about theme and tone and the innerworkings of a mix. I think the theme you were going for with this is what I’ll call the “undercover sex jam mix.” Because on the outside it’s not overtly bedroom music but after some deeper inspection and the order you put the songs it’s kinda screaming at me that this is what it’s supposed to be. The arc of the mix follows perfectly with that… begins with some up tempo sexy music, this is gets all out freaky hot, then it goes back down a notch to some love making jams and then way down into the let’s just lay here together music, then moves to the I don’t want to leave you but I have to songs, and then the wow my life is a depressive hell-hole without you songs. The whole mix is quite cinematic when you think about it in those terms and isn’t that what good music does? It makes you see and feels things much like the storyline of a good movie? At least that’s what I think both good music and good mixes do.

If it’s possible I think I love you even more now than I did from just your movies and interviews and even your own music. This playlist makes me like you more than any photoshoot or movie ever could. Because listening to other people’s favorite music is like seeing just a little glimpse into their soul. You get to see what they enjoy, what the react to, what gets them off. Give me a music nerd any day and I’ll swoon way more than looking at some smoking hot dude.

So this begs the question Rob, can we start a mix-off? This is like my ultimate dream and something I do with every guy I like… so how’s about it?
Themoonisdown

So what did you think of Rob’s mix? Any surprises? Any new favorites you discovered from his playlist? What would you have included that he didn’t or left out?

PS Don’t miss what’s happening over on LTT today
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