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Magic melancholy

This is the music review of
Livin' Large (2000) | House Party (2001) | Hot Date (2001) | Vacation (2002) | Unleashed (2002) | Superstar (2003) | Makin' Magic (2003).

Everything has already been said about The Sims, a game that was released at the turn of the millennium and enthralled entire generations in front of their CRT screens ... at least in terms of gameplay. But I'm not here for content, I'm here for opinion! And for me, The Sims was magical. Not just because of its sixth add-on, Makin' Magic, but because of the revolutionary gameplay principle that let me control the lives of digital people and steer them through all the highs and especially the lows.

If you did this, as I did at the tender age of eight, for my Sims this usually meant an existence comparable to that of an average (FDP) Free Democratic Party voter who had achieved immense wealth through illicit means and had to spend his twilight years surrounded by butlers, gardeners, a robot and an undead cleaning lady in an oversized and tastelessly furnished villa. For me, Sims was not only a revelation for the entertainment medium of video games. No, like so many games of that era, it also left its mark on me musically. Sims-players hear nothing groundbreaking, nothing unprecedented, no experiments and certainly nothing unknown. They hear a piano, they hear violins. And I hear my childhood.

For me, what composer Jerry Martin has created for Sims is not just the perfect accompaniment for a very special game, but rather a feeling, a kind of encapsulation of life. Each track creates a different mood, sometimes cheerful and carefree, sometimes pensive and melancholic: Under Construction , with its dominant, deep chords and dancing high notes, testifies to a zest for life, suggests tackling and getting going - life is beautiful and we can do anything. Buying Lumber , on the other hand, is slow, almost crawling across the tonal floor, devoid of energy and always trying to pick itself up. It's not depressing, it's touching. And although these impressions are diametrically opposed, they belong together: no shadow without light, no joy without sadness ... you know how it is.

Now my opinion is obviously nostalgically distorted and my perception pathetically transfigured. But unlike a Anno 1602, where I love every track because Anno was one of my first gaming experiences, my enthusiasm for some pieces from the Sims-score can perhaps be better understood by non-initiates. After all, we're hearing typical new-age piano pieces paired with the classic feel-good sprinkling of a 50s sitcom à la WandaVision. In this respect, the music is nothing really new, but the combination makes it something unique. It's a kind of jam session that seems unplanned and yet doesn't bore. 

To be honest, I've been avoiding this review for a long time because I wanted it to be something special. It should do justice to the work of Martin, who not only gave us some of the most beautiful pieces in video game history, but also unknowingly prompted me to start learning the piano. Sounds cheesy, but it was like that ... or something like that, I don't know. I was very young, impressionable and now have the memory of my dog Corvo when it comes to relieving myself before bedtime.

I realized that it makes no sense for me to discuss each track in detail, because it's the overall work that wins you over. At least if you have the complete work at hand. Going back to the actual score, I would like to point out that the original soundtrack (OST) only contains a small selection of the important tracks. Unfortunately, these had to make way for the comparatively unspectacular in-game radio buzz, which includes tracks such as the banjo intermezzo SIM Hoe Down, the rock imitation SIM Hagar or the fiery, irrelevant Samba SIM - a shame! Because even though Mall Rat and Groceries are two of the more listenable tracks in the score, some of the hits that can only be found in the gamerip.

These include the iconic main theme The Sims, which greets us with its joyful violin melody when we boot up the game, as well as the life-affirming Building Mode 3, the upbeat Buy Mode 3 as well as Neighborhood 4. The latter in particular, with its bossa nova blues, is likely to remain in every player's memory. The bittersweet Building Mode 4 and Building Mode 6 , which combine heartache with seemingly boundless optimism, are particularly absent.

Even if I haven't gone into all the side tracks in this review, everything has been said from my side - at least about the main game. If you haven't heard the music yet, you must (yes, must!) listen to it and be enchanted. And if you'd like to read a few more words from the composer, you can take a look at this article from AnotherMag . It tells you a bit about the process of creating the game and the music. In any case, I'm going to reminisce for a while and gaze dreamily at my piano, which is quietly gathering dust.

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Nostalgia warning

The rating of the individual tracks is purely subjective and clearly colored by my own experience with the game. You can find out more in the article About Nostalgia.

The Sims

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Now Entering	Marc Russo	3
02	Neighborhood	Marc Russo	3
03	Under Construction	Jerry Martin	5
04	Buying Lumber	Jerry Martin	4
05	Mall Rat	Jerry Martin	5
06	Groceries	Marc Russo	4
07	SIMnata #4	Jerry Martin	3
08	SIMnata #15	Jerry Martin	3
09	BoSIM Nova	Marc Russo	3
10	Samba SIM	Jerry Martin	2
11	SIM Nights	Kirk Casey	3
12	Fishin'	Dix Bruce	3
13	SIM Hoe Down	Dix Bruce	3
14	SIM Yonder	Dix Bruce	3
15	SIM Hagar	Jerry Martin	3

The Sims [Gamerip]

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Loading Loop	Jerry Martin; Marc Russo	1
02	Neighborhood 1 (Now Entering)*	Marc Russo	3
03	Neighborhood 2 (Neighborhood)*	Marc Russo	3
04	Neighborhood 3 (The Sims)	Jerry Martin; Marc Russo	5
05	Neighborhood 4	Jerry Martin; Marc Russo	3
06	Neighborhood 5 (BoSIM Nova)*	Marc Russo	3
07	Neighborhood 6 (SIM Nights)*	Kirk Casey	3
08	Neighborhood 7	Jerry Martin; Marc Russo	3
09	Building Mode 1 (Under Construction)*	Jerry Martin	5
10	Building Mode 2 (Buying Lumber)*	Jerry Martin	4
11	Building Mode 3	Jerry Martin; Marc Russo	5
12	Building Mode 4	Jerry Martin; Marc Russo	5
13	Building Mode 5	Jerry Martin; Marc Russo	4
14	Building Mode 6	Jerry Martin; Marc Russo	5
15	Buy Mode 1 (Mall Rat)*	Jerry Martin	5
16	Buy Mode 2 (Groceries)*	Marc Russo	4
17	Buy Mode 3	Jerry Martin; Marc Russo	5
18	Buy Mode 4	Jerry Martin; Marc Russo	4

*Track contained in the Original Soundtrack

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Livin' Large

The first add-on in the Sims-history may not offer quite as much content comppared to the subsequent add-ons, but brings many iconic characters into play, such as the cleaning robot or the genie. Musically, Livin‘ Large only has one very forgettable loading track, which is somewhere between quirky and annoying. Anyone who likes tribal beats from the backyard will be delighted.

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No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Loading Loop	Jerry Martin	2

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House Party

Of course, every good party also needs good music. The second add-on House Party gives us this, to exaggerate, in the form of a kind of Spotify playlist in which the guests enter their individual wishes without curation. The result is a cacophony of techno (Sim House Party, Simtricity, Put It Down, Simtasy, Simtrance), Bee Gees-style funk (Shaka Do Thang), soul (Al Sims), surf music (SIMboys, Jerry Lee Sims) and various other creations.

Anyone who can make friends with the simlish gibberish will certainly be entertained by their favorite genre. And as a child, I used to be amused by the idea that 'Sub sub baru' was being sung. Now that I can generally understand English lyrics, it turns me off when I hear 'baby talk'. But it's always creative, at least.

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No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	The Sims: House Party	Francois La Fleur	2
02	Ee I Ooo Oh	Jerry Martin	2
03	Shaka Do Thang	Kent Jolly	3
04	The Band	Dix Bruce	3
05	Sims Wipe Out	Kirk Casey	3
06	Al Sims	Marc Russo	3
07	SIMboys	Jerry Martin	3
08	Simtricity	Jerry Martin	2
09	Spring Break	Kent Jolly	2
10	Lakuwani	Anna Karney	3
11	Yippio Ki Oh	Dix Bruce	3
12	Put It Down	Jerry Martin	2
13	Wewah	Robi Kauker	2
14	Jerry Lee Sims	Dix Bruce	2
15	Funky Sim	Marc Russo	4
16	Simtasy	Jerry Martin	2
17	Gloria Sims	Kirk Casey	3
18	The Group	Kent Jolly	2
19	Simtrance	Francois La Fleur	2

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Hot Date

After the party comes the first date. The developers at Maxis probably thought so too, which is why Hot Date offers us a whole new neighborhood to give our love life a boost. The music is a classic mix of jazz and swing, just as you would imagine romance to be: Two pairs of eyes pining over a table flickering in the candlelight, scanning each other. She bites her lip, he runs his hand through his hair in embarrassment ... and then the saxophone solo blasts their ears from the side. Although it's not my favorite style of music, I find a few of the tracks quite catchy. However, nostalgia could play a big part here.

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No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Going Out	Jerry Martin	3
02	The Club	Marc Russo	3
02	The Club	Marc Russo	3
03	Cab Ride	Jerry Martin	4
04	Smooth	Jerry Martin	2
05	Let's Dance	Jerry Martin	3
06	Play It Sim	Kirk Casey	4
07	Dizzy Sim	Kirk Casey	3
07	Dizzy Sim	Kirk Casey	3
08	SIMtastic	Marc Russo	3

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Vacation

The music for the vacation add-on Vacation (who would have thought?) is a bit like celebrating all Jochen Schweizer adventure vacations at the same time - on drugs. The wildest combination of Bahamas-style steel drums and alpine yodeling interludes come together here. It's incredibly weird, unbelievably creative and, thanks to this carefree it-doesn't-matter-because-it's-a-vacation attitude, it even works. I'm probably nostalgic here too, but I enjoy the score ... even though it shouldn't be really .

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No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	The Sims: Vacation	Jerry Martin	4
02	Welcome to the Island	Jerry Martin	4
03	Seal in the Sea	Jerry Martin	3
04	Shaggy Sim	Marc Russo	3
05	Steel Drum Paradise	Kirk Casey	4
06	Coconuts in the Sand	Kirk Casey	4
07	Song of the Island	Kirk Casey	3
08	Chimonganalai	Marc Russo	3

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Unleashed

Watch out for the pun: The next add-on Unleashed focused on ... guess what? Of course our furry and fuzzy friends. While the previous add-ons were still able to follow the usual tropes in terms of instrumentalization, it is very difficult to depict dog-cat-mouse musically. As a result, Marc Russo, who is solely responsible this time, returned to the virtues of the main game and delivers good mood music in the form of blues (Sim the Blues, I Got the Sim Blues), some chill-out rock (Unleash the Sims) and pop (Cruisin' the Delta, Unleashed Jam, Down by the River, Oh Yah La Do, Ooh Ah, It's in the Jam).

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No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Unleash the Sims	Marc Russo	3
02	Sims Unleashed Load Loop	Marc Russo	3
03	Sim the Blues	Marc Russo	4
04	I Got the Sim Blues	Marc Russo	3
05	Cruisin' the Delta	Marc Russo	3
06	Unleashed Jam	Marc Russo	3
07	Down by the River	Marc Russo	3
08	Oh Yah La Do	Marc Russo	3
09	Ooh Ah	Marc Russo	3
10	It's in the Jam	Marc Russo	2

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Superstar

The next entry in the series, Superstar, which in German was strangely translated into Megastar, was is about stars, starlets and fame in Hollywood. Our Sims can try their hand at being actors, singers and models, accompanied by the musical party pomp of the 2000s.

I don't know what it says about me that I think this GNTM-catwalk cut-out turned into music is the best OST of the addons. But as someone who also likes to listen to Cotton-Eye Joe and Daddy DJ in his private life, it shouldn't really come as a surprise. I enjoy this sometimes cheap-looking techo thrill, which we encounter in The Sims: Superstar, Glabe Glarn [Neural Net Processor MegaMix], Botox Forever, The Spa Treatment and 8×10 Glossy . Perhaps because it reminds me to some extent of the early Need for Speed-games in which The Humble Brothers were involved. After all, they also had a hand in this.

The other tracks, which range from country ballads to bedroom jazz (Chedaboo [Horny Cabaret Mix]), are also nice, but the highlight for me is the techno section. Additionally, there are five tracks for the build mode in the accompanying gamerip, which are true to the style of Golden Age Hollywood. All you really expect is for the curtain to close and an announcer to swing onto the stage. Something for old-school nostalgics.

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Die Sims: Megastar

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	The Sims: Superstar	Jerry Martin	4
02	Thonsivee [Midnight Love Mix]	Li'l Oscar	3
03	Stambadoo (Live at the SimCity Arena)	The New Stambadoo Mountain Ramblers	3
04	Casting Call	Jerry Martin	3
05	Glabe Glarn [Neural Net Processor MegaMix]	4Ever-N-Ever	2
06	Braffee Glasch	Unknown	1
07	Botox Forever	The Humble Brothers	4
08	Frettesche [Caustic Treason Mix]	Mourning Glory	3
09	Glabe Glarn [EuroSimCity Mix]	Bolpa & Funkhauser	2
10	The Spa Treatment	Jerry Martin	5
11	Frettesche [Live at the SimCity Arena]	Mourning Glory	3
12	8x10 Glossy	Unknown	5
13	Chedaboo [Horny Cabaret Mix]	Billy DeLiteful and the Diablo Valley Jazz Machine	2
14	Backstage Pass	Jerry Martin	3

Die Sims: Megastar [Gamerip]

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	The Sims: Superstar	Jerry Martin	4
02	Thonsivee [Midnight Love Mix]	Li'l Oscar	3
03	Stambadoo (Live at the SimCity Arena)	The New Stambadoo Mountain Ramblers	3
04	Casting Call	Jerry Martin	3
05	Glabe Glarn [Neural Net Processor MegaMix]	4Ever-N-Ever	2
06	Braffee Glasch	Unknown	1
07	Botox Forever	The Humble Brothers	4
08	Frettesche [Caustic Treason Mix]	Mourning Glory	3
09	Glabe Glarn [EuroSimCity Mix]	Bolpa & Funkhauser	2
10	The Spa Treatment	Jerry Martin	5
11	Frettesche [Live at the SimCity Arena]	Mourning Glory	3
12	8x10 Glossy	Unknown	5
13	Chedaboo [Horny Cabaret Mix]	Billy DeLiteful and the Diablo Valley Jazz Machine	2
14	Backstage Pass	Jerry Martin	3
15	Build 1	Jerry Martin; Marc Russo	3
16	Build 2	Jerry Martin; Marc Russo	3
17	Build 3	Jerry Martin; Marc Russo	3
18	Build 4	Jerry Martin; Marc Russo	3
19	Build 5	Jerry Martin; Marc Russo	3

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Makin' Magic

The fair is in town! At least that's the impression you get when you listen to the OST of the latest expansion Makin‘ Magic. Apparently, Jerry Martin's thought process was: magic - curiosity - carnival. Like a collection of wonders, the music invites you to take an imaginary stroll past the attractions, the screams and the laughter of the visitors. To this end, Martin resorts to classical instrumentation, dominated by the accordion (Medieval Neighborhood) and oboes (Once a Cemitery, Build 3, Build 4).

Depending on the combination, the result is a variety of wonderfully different atmospheres - just like at a fairground: Ada-Quaint Place (great play on words), Euro-hood and Buy Mode 1 sound like French joie de vivre, fast and upbeat. Foggy Shores and Magic Town , on the other hand, are rather spooky due to their slow tempo. And Nutcase Land completes the picture with its barrel organ.

Then there are the tracks for the buy and build modes, which alternate between shanty (Buy Mode 2, Buy Mode 3), melancholy (Build 8) and upbeat dance (Buy Mode 4, Build 6, Build 9). A crazy mixture, in the style of a carnival, which finds its conclusion in Credits - as does this review. I hope there was something for everyone!

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No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Makin' Magic Loading Loop	Jerry Martin	4
02	Medieval Neighborhood	Jerry Martin	4
03	Once a Cemitery	Jerry Martin	4
04	Foggy Shores	Jerry Martin	3
05	Magic Town	Jerry Martin	2
06	Ada-Quaint Place	Jerry Martin	3
07	Euro-hood	Jerry Martin	3
08	Nutcase Land	Jerry Martin	3
09	Buy Mode 1	Jerry Martin	3
10	Buy Mode 2	Jerry Martin	5
11	Buy Mode 3	Jerry Martin	4
12	Buy Mode 4	Jerry Martin	3
13	Buy Mode 5	Jerry Martin	3
14	Build 3	Jerry Martin	4
15	Build 4	Jerry Martin	3
16	Build 5	Jerry Martin	3
17	Build 6	Jerry Martin	4
18	Build 7	Jerry Martin	3
19	Build 8	Jerry Martin	3
20	Build 9	Jerry Martin	3
21	Credits	Jerry Martin	4