33 ⅓ Koji Kondo Super Mario Bros Soundtrack: Book Review
I’ll go into this review the same way I went into the book: not knowing anything about music.
That’s hyperbole. I know a little bit about music.
I just can’t read it.
For whatever reason then I decided to grab a copy of 33 ⅓ Koji Kondo’s Super Mario Bros. Soundtrack by Andrew Schartmann published by Bloomsbury. If you’re unfamiliar with the 33 ⅓ books , they are a series dedicated to music in which an author writes a short book, ~200 pages or less, focused entirely around a single album by a musical artist or group. The series has covered a wide range of albums and genres from Let it Be by the Beatles, Reign in Blood by Slayer, Electric Ladyland by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Pretty Hate Machine by Nine Inch Nails to name a few. The books have thus far demonstrated to be a commercial and critical success and this is one of the reasons why I decided to read it.
The other reason was because it was short.
I wish I could offer a more nuanced explanation why that is such an appeal, but I don’t want to take away from Schartmann’s book anymore than I need to. The shortest and easiest explanation is that as of this writing I have to balance a full time job with my desire to read and draw and paint and write and drink at least two cups of decent (not great) cups of coffee a day and have a girlfriend who wants to take us to concerts most recently being Arctic Monkeys at the Dickie’s Event Center in Fort Worth TX and… and, well, yeah breathe probably. As there are more and more books being published that are shorter, this allows full-time professionals an easier and more accessible option for reading. For a better argument than I can provide here I might recommend an article titled “Why Best Selling Books are Getting Shorter” by Sergio C. Fanjul.
Back to Super Mario Bros.
Andrew Schartman’s book is exactly what the rest of the series is, a well reviewed and well written breakdown of a work of musical art. Schartmann’s book caused some controversy due in no small part because this book is, to date, the only one in the series about a video game soundtrack. There will always be snobs, and when it comes to music snobbery is not uncommon or hard to find. I won’t address that genre of criticism here, mostly because I don’t have time for it. Instead I want to argue that Schartmann has helped set the stage for future writers and critics who see merit and importance in video-game musical compositions. And given the fact that millions of individuals have played Super Mario Bros. the impact of its music is worthy of critical analysis.
So, to quote the teenagers these days, “Let’s Boogie!”
(No actual teenagers were consulted for the previous sentence.)
Schartman arranges his book into two parts which he refers to as “Contexts” and “Music.”
“Contexts” as a section title is pretty self-explanatory. Schartman approaches the legacy of the Super Mario Bros soundtrack and how it impacted gaming and culture at large. He then follows the development of the original game and the selection of Koji Kondo for the music. This then leads to a brief biography of Kondo, as well as an examination of his musical training, education, and background and how it informed composing the music. Finally, the last chapter goes into the technology Kondo had as a composer to work with.
“Music” is, well, music. That’s all I got man.
It’s a book about music, at some point you’re gonna read about music.
“Music” is where Schartmann demonstrates his own proficiency as a critic, as well as his own understanding of the medium. For context, Schartman holds degrees in music from Yale and McGill university, he is an assistant editor of the DSCH journal, and currently is employed at the New England Conservatory of Music. If there is anyone who could write a book about music, it would most definitely be this fellow.
Like the previous section there are four chapters. The first breaks down the “Over world” and “Underworld” compositions that most players, and non-players, would be familiar with. After this there is a dedication to the “Under-water waltz” theme. I’ll admit that since I largely used the secret pipes in the Underworld levels to skip forward in the game, this section actually inspired me to go back and play the original Super Mario Bros again just so I could listen to this score.
So thanks Andrew, you rocked my world bro.
The third chapter examines the themes of the interior of Bowser’s castle, but also explores the “death” or “failure” sounds that play whenever Mario is killed in the game. Finally chapter four examines every “sound” in the game from the smashing of bricks, to Bowser’s fireballs, to even the sounds made when Mario jumps onto the flagpole to remove King Koopa’s flag.
Each of these sections is incredible for the amount of research that was performed, as well as the careful attention to detail. There were, honestly, some sections that went over my head, and these of course were the breakdowns of the musical compositions.
Like I said at the start, I don’t honestly know how to read music. At one point in my life I could, at least on a basic level. However due to a rather terse and unpleasant 4th grade music teacher who spent more time yelling and screaming at her students, as well an equally unpleasant 5th and 6th grade choir teacher who did more or less the same thing, I got scared off music. Fortunately visual art and writing were more my forte anyway so there was some solace in “landing on my feet” creatively speaking. Still, I hate that I can’t actually look at bars of music sheets and be able to tell you if the fun squiggles and lines are B sharps or E flats. Reading these sections was honestly depressing on a personal level because it was a reminder that there was a scope of knowledge that eluded me because of two jackasses.
Schartmann’s book however was some relief because he was a better teacher than any I had previously had in music. Even if I couldn’t read the compositions that were included alongside his written breakdowns of the work, I could still appreciate his passion for the subject, as well as his technical expertise. Add the fact that I could hum and whistle the scores from memory, so it wasn’t too difficult to work out what he was saying.
Schartmann explains the music, as well as explaining to his reader why Kondo’s work was incredible, not simply due to its technical limitations. Several sections are dedicated to explaining the technology Kondo used during the composition process. These sections can be some of the most difficult, but Schartmann’s gift as a writer is his ability to maintain my attention.
By the end of this short read I had a deeper understanding of how Kondo worked hard to accomplish a real musical wonder that was brilliant due in no small part to its simplicity. The soundtrack for the original Super Mario Bros game is recognisable because it’s only a few notes, but Kondo’s personal philosophy and training as a musician made this score energetic. That resonated with players who played Mario through every level, including myself. Schartmann is able to write beautiful prose that doesn’t talk down to his reader; his diction is not-academic but neither is it inundated in technical jargon. You don’t need a PhD to appreciate this book. Schartmann is a man who finds these compositions beautiful and any reader who opens this book will surely see this passion and careful execution of musical analysis.
Players should appreciate this book for the gift it is to video game discourse and the condescension that typically surrounds it. Schartmann has written an adult book about how the tradition of musical composition informed a severely limited technology that managed to shake the world and leave an impact that is still being felt today. Fans of music should appreciate this book for the depth of Schartmann’s analysis and careful study of every bar of Kondo’s score. And writers who tackle video game discourse should appreciate this wonderful short book for the way it offers Kondo’s work alongside other prominent and important musical works without hesitation or ironic distance.
Video game music impacts players tremendously because it heightens or compliments dramatic or technical aspects of gameplay, and Kondo’s score has impacted generations of people and continues to this day. The sounds and music of Super Mario Bros are melodies that echo through the halls of my own memory, and Schartmann has give me as an individual reader and gamer the chance to rediscover a tune that I’ve hummed, whistled, and sung many, many times in the shower when I thought I was alone. And it’s incredible to find that I’m still finding more to appreciate in the work.
Joshua “Jammer” Smith
10.5.2023
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