ReMix: Super Mario Bros. 'TheItalianPlumber'
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- Game: Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 1985, NES)
- ReMixer(s): M.S. Mehawich
- Composer(s): Koji Kondo
- Song(s): 'Invincible BGM', 'Overworld BGM'
- Posted: 2002-01-07, evaluated by djpretzel
An instant classic - submitted by a friend of first-time contributor M.S. Mehawich on his behalf, this piano / cello / violin arrangement of several SMB1 themes is - like the Mario Bros. themselves - super. Vibrato, crescendo, pizzicato, marcato, and all those neat music terms (that you should know if you don't) are implemented masterfully - each part is obviously being played by a talented musician, and all three parts trade-off and interact and feed off one another precisely as they should in such an arrangement. There're some ambient sounds as this was apparently recorded live, which makes it all the more impressive in my mind. Amadeus meets Kondo, and with more flair and feeling than many of the professionally released orchestral takes on these themes. Absolute must-download in my book - hope you feel the same. More please?
Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the wow how did I miss this? HOW DOES THIS ONLY HAVE 2 PAGES OF
COMMENTS?
arg.
I'm in love; the awesome chordal rearrangement had me from the minor 3rd...
and the violin playing is quite good. this could have been veryyyy painful, but it's not.
Everyone, please, check this out. It's quite awesome...this "friend" needs to submit more stuff!
- PrototypeRaptor on April 3, 2009
arg.
I'm in love; the awesome chordal rearrangement had me from the minor 3rd...
and the violin playing is quite good. this could have been veryyyy painful, but it's not.
Everyone, please, check this out. It's quite awesome...this "friend" needs to submit more stuff!
- PrototypeRaptor on April 3, 2009
I can almost imagine Mario being part of the Italian mafia after
listening to this.
Yeah....
Mario in a gray pinstripe suit and fedora, holding a tommy gun and a "violin" case by his feet. :<
This just seems like a perfect companion piece to Koopa Vs. Kefka.
Both are intense, emotional, conflict-full, deeply complicated, and insightful to their respective characters.
I would have loved to hear this live.
This is an absolute must download now.
- 42 on March 22, 2009
Yeah....
Mario in a gray pinstripe suit and fedora, holding a tommy gun and a "violin" case by his feet. :<
This just seems like a perfect companion piece to Koopa Vs. Kefka.
Both are intense, emotional, conflict-full, deeply complicated, and insightful to their respective characters.
I would have loved to hear this live.
This is an absolute must download now.
- 42 on March 22, 2009
I can't believe that this excellent remix has been so overlooked.
This is one of my favorite mixes on the whole site - I've loved
this one for years.
The minor key and different orchestrations of the familiar overworld theme really changes the atmosphere. It's a slightly sinister, very Italian sounding piece of music at the beginning, and it changes up somewhat with the inclusion of the invincibility theme in the middle before getting back to the standard overworld theme again.
The playing is excellent, especially for being done live - and I think some of the background noise helps it feel even more like live music from a high-end Italian restaurant and adds to the overall picture. It's very Godfather-esque and it's easy to picture Mario in that role with this kind of background music.
Do yourself a favor and download this underappreciated and very excellent mix. You won't look at Mario the same way after this.
- Lovely Peach on January 12, 2009
The minor key and different orchestrations of the familiar overworld theme really changes the atmosphere. It's a slightly sinister, very Italian sounding piece of music at the beginning, and it changes up somewhat with the inclusion of the invincibility theme in the middle before getting back to the standard overworld theme again.
The playing is excellent, especially for being done live - and I think some of the background noise helps it feel even more like live music from a high-end Italian restaurant and adds to the overall picture. It's very Godfather-esque and it's easy to picture Mario in that role with this kind of background music.
Do yourself a favor and download this underappreciated and very excellent mix. You won't look at Mario the same way after this.
- Lovely Peach on January 12, 2009
Wow, missed this one twice over now, and it seems so has everyone
else. The production isn't perfect, but the fact that it is a live
performance makes up for it. Stuff like this shows that even the
best samples can only go so far, as there is a completely different
feel and set of expectations when there is something performed
live; Not only live, but triple-live, where the performers have to
listen to each other and adapt to each phrase. Even tiny flaws add
to something like this.
If only it wasn't so short. The underwater theme would have sounded great in this style.
- OA on July 6, 2007
If only it wasn't so short. The underwater theme would have sounded great in this style.
- OA on July 6, 2007
This mix deserves more comments!
Very sophisticated and a bit sad too. Professional work. A whole new side of Mario. It's revolutional! Revolutional!
What you're still reading, go download!
- isthan on June 21, 2006
Very sophisticated and a bit sad too. Professional work. A whole new side of Mario. It's revolutional! Revolutional!
What you're still reading, go download!
- isthan on June 21, 2006
This song is unbelievably awesome. It shows great understanding of
theory, it balanced almost perfectly, done in a style lacking on
OCR... DOWNLOAD this 2 minute 40 second masterpiece now.
- Epsilon Hyperion on October 27, 2004
- Epsilon Hyperion on October 27, 2004
This song requires more attention. Excellent arrangement of various
Mario songs, in a classical Italian style that, all stereotypes
withheld, had me envisioning Mario in Don Corleone's chair the
entire time. A must have. Creative and original.
- myf on August 29, 2004
- myf on August 29, 2004
No, it's an italian restaurant, duh. And the owner's fake italian
accent and moustache are oddly familiar...
- Czar Diego on May 20, 2004
- Czar Diego on May 20, 2004
in my vision i kinda see it's like at a PUB or catina or something
but's that's not it .. it's something.. but awesome music!
- PotatoeCS on August 9, 2003
- PotatoeCS on August 9, 2003
This is a [i]totally[/i] different approach to the classic tunes of
Super Mario Bros than I'm used to, and I like it!
It's sort of a sad, bittersweet randition, with some totally awesome dissonance (yes, I did say "totally awesome") and nice medleys.
I found that sometimes it felt like they were about to go into something else, only to retract from it, which is kind of a disappointment.
The main reason this bothers me is because these are musicians who really know what they are doing, and I really wanted to hear them take on the ideas that sounded like they were about to start up...
...But alas... Did not...
Download now!
YES YOU!
- Jean Of mArc on August 8, 2003
It's sort of a sad, bittersweet randition, with some totally awesome dissonance (yes, I did say "totally awesome") and nice medleys.
I found that sometimes it felt like they were about to go into something else, only to retract from it, which is kind of a disappointment.
The main reason this bothers me is because these are musicians who really know what they are doing, and I really wanted to hear them take on the ideas that sounded like they were about to start up...
...But alas... Did not...
Download now!
YES YOU!
- Jean Of mArc on August 8, 2003
I originally thought that this would be gimmicky, but after time I
have come to enjoy this remix. It has neither the annoying techno
beats or the candy canivalish flavor that most have. Kudos to you,
M.S. Mehawich, for doing something different and enjoyable with the
Mario Theme. 6/8
- PassivePretentiousness on February 24, 2003
- PassivePretentiousness on February 24, 2003
I [i]had[/i] to bring this thread back to the top. This piece just
[b]rules[/b]. It's delightfully arranged, in every way possible,
and performed with flair. When I want to show people the pure joy
of OC Remix, I play this for them... a remix in every sense, and it
definitely deserves way more praise than these two little posts!
Everybody now! Go get it!
(Whoever this "friend of M.S. Mehawich" is, you need to send more, dammit.) :D
- Juverna on February 24, 2003
(Whoever this "friend of M.S. Mehawich" is, you need to send more, dammit.) :D
- Juverna on February 24, 2003
Obviously, I agree- the style implied in this song definately shows
its not all fun and games being an Italian Plumber. The
Godfather-esque style with the minor keys and soft violin are an
awesome twist on an old classic and definately satiate the desire
of people looking for this kind of sweet sad music.
- quicksilver3987 on January 12, 2003
- quicksilver3987 on January 12, 2003
Super Mario Bros. 'The Italian Plumber'
Well it’s about time. You would think somebody would think to give The Italian Plumber a song in traditional Italian style. I’m just got he finally got it. All that toilet fixing and princess saving is tough work, you know. He deserves this one. Excellent work, M.S. Mehawich, I hope to hear more, maybe one for Luigi.
- Ginnsu on May 26, 2002
Well it’s about time. You would think somebody would think to give The Italian Plumber a song in traditional Italian style. I’m just got he finally got it. All that toilet fixing and princess saving is tough work, you know. He deserves this one. Excellent work, M.S. Mehawich, I hope to hear more, maybe one for Luigi.
- Ginnsu on May 26, 2002
