Day 46: Genesis - Foxtrot

Dear Nathaniel,

Hello my angel. We're really starting to look forward to moving to Norway, it's still scary of course but it feels like this is something we need to do before we start really recovering. I'm just glad I can do this for you, even if it's very little. I'm sorry I'm a bit over midnight but we've been a bit busy and I wasn't able to find the time during the day where I could be listening to music.

We're maybe thinking of building a house if everything lines up nicely, but we're not entirely sure. In the end it's turning out to be very difficult to get a foothold in Norway, because once we're there it should be a lot easier to be able to sort things out. But obviously the big problem right now is taking that first step into Norway and getting somewhere to live temporarily, but that's proving difficult too.

In the end even if we're renting it's far better than living here in terms of money we'll be making but it would be much better if that money was spent on paying off a mortgage rather than renting. For the first few years we'd still technically be throwing half the money down the drain because of interest repayments but that's better than all of it of course and it decreases as time goes on. And of course if our situation ever changes we'd be able to pay off the mortgage even faster hopefully.

I had always wanted to teach you fiscal responsibility when I felt you were ready but I suppose that would have been a long time from now. Continuing where we left off yesterday today we're listening to the second album of Genesis' brilliant trilogy Foxtrot. This album shows a further growth in the band and is topped off by one of the greatest progressive rock tracks of all time Supper's Ready, a 23 minute epic, I'll not spoil it for when we get to it my angel, just be assured it really does live up to whatever hype it's given.

I'm not sure what first drew me to Genesis, or at least these three albums. But I think I had heard Selling England By the Pound when I was quite young because when I re-heard the album it all felt incredibly familiar to me and I immediately liked it. Genesis often have a very soft touch which makes them easy to get into since there's not much to turn the average listener away, the same can't be said for the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway which I just can't stand, much like Pink Floyd's The Wall.

Don't get me wrong I love extravagance as much as the next prog rock fan, if I didn't I wouldn't be saying how awesome Supper's Ready is. But there's a certain point where it just gets silly like with the Wall, Lamb or everything by Emerson, Lake and Palmer. At one point too much ambition just makes the music unlistenable and I can't even admire what they tried to do because it just sounds so awful.

 I love you my angel. I hope you enjoyed Supper's Ready, it really is a great piece of music. Certain epics just make a day feel a lot brighter. This I believe will be the fourth such epic over 20 minutes we've listened to with the other three being Lizard by King Crimson, Caravan's Nine Feet Underground and of course Thick as a Brick. Goodnight Nathaniel.

Love from Dad.