Seven Island Suite

[Cathy]

Originally posted by New 12 String Mike:
The chords aren't the problem, they are very simple. The strumming them while singing the song is a very good work out.

Practice practice practice.

Keep practicing and you'll get to the point where you won't even have to think about strumming. Your voice and the guitar become complimentary to each other. Right now, you're probably putting too much thought, and not enough feeling into it, but with practice and a lot of playing, you'll figure it out. Just keep playing!

I found it helps to play with other musicians, even the ones that are better than you. You learn a few tricks that way.

[charlene]

If anyone can do it up right it will be Ron Jones!
...along with Kenyon next month the two of them will be having a grand time and I wish I could be there! I certainly hope Mr. Jones and Wallace do some serious recording of their collaborations.
Cathy - you've got to get together with Ron - you'll be dazzled ... and so will he!

[Cathy]

I've got to get it back before I get together with anybody. I'm pretty rusty right now. I can remember what I'm supposed to do, but I can't always get my right hand to do it. It's improving with practice, though.

[johnfowles]

[

Originally posted by lighthead2toe:
an E was added? Ron Jones.

not at all sure what you meant by that Ron
I thought you were extolling the virtues of Toronto's Sherbourne

artists impression of the new Sherbourne Health Centre in southeast Toronto
Whereas my complaint was the adding of the "u" I also have to admit that there is a further variation up there in Yorkshire

Aviation society based out of Sherburn-in-Elmet
I also found a further U.S. miscreant
Sherburn is located in southern Minnesota at the junction of Interstate 90 and State Highway 4.

the real Sherborne is nicely encapsulated in this fine shot of some visitors (grockles no doubt) pretending to be barmen behind an array of real ale beer engines

the bar at the Half Moon Hotel Sherborne, albeit that the picture file was misnamed sherbourne.jpg
But the University of Alberta is "bound" to get the booby prize as the most totally confused offender with this picture of the current Lord Digby's home Sherborne "New" Castle (as built by Sir Walter Raliegh) to which they have given the filename sherbourne.gif


http://www.arts.ualberta.ca/~dmiall/...xts/Crowe2.htm
alongside a hyperlink to "Sherburne"
is this piece of prose:-
To Sherburne's ancient towers and rich domains,
The noble Digby's mansion; where he dwells
and at the bottom of the page alongside the picture I have shown above it is writ:-
440. Sherburne: Sir Walter Raleigh fell from royal favour when he was found having an affair with Elizabeth Throckmorton in 1592; he married her and retired to his manor at Sherborne, Dorset. Here he built Sherborne Castle in 1594 (see right; photo from Internet). He was executed in 1618 on trumped-up charges. From 1617 Sherborne was the home of the Digby family (17th century Earls of Bristol).
John Fowles
I rest my case

[johnfowles]

I just refound this old thread, and though it worth resurrecting as it is about one of my more favorite Lightsongs
I wonder if "Patrinky" from New York still reads this forum and if so will he/she be at any of June's local NY area concerts.
I must remember to send a Private Message on Tuesday

[3pennies]

I asked Gordon after the Morristown NJ concert last June if he ever played Seven Island Suite anymore since it was one of my favorites. I had not seen it in any setlists but there was a chance I missed it. Heck maybe he would say they pulled it out a few years back in somewhere usa.

His response - "We don't play that one anymore, it's too hard."

[jj]

Originally Posted by charlene

The seven Islands are in Georgian Bay. They are off Port McNicholl where Lake Huron turns into the Bay.

if this came from Gord's liner notes then I think they are a bit misleading:

the eastern boundary of Lake Huron leads into Georgian Bay at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula (Tobermory) which is a very long way from Port McNicholl, which is in a smaller (Hog) bay

perhaps he had a boat slip at McNicholl and that's why he mentioned it

my interpretation has been, it's the 7 out in Fathom Five National Marine Park (where divers from all over come to explore the many, many sunken ships in the crystal clear waters at the entrance to Georgian Bay)

ie.
Willscroft Island
Peters Island
South Otter Island

and further out:
North Otter Island
Flowerpot Island
Cove Island
Echo Island

I headed up there the weekend Gord took ill back in 2002 for some r+r, musical fiddling and to send some healing thoughts (the outlook was so very grim according to radio updates in the area)...then last year went for a memorable, lengthy tour (in small, speedy watercraft) of the choppy waters amidst this marine park

on the contrary, if Gord is referring to the smaller channels in the southern section of Georgian Bay (Honey Harbour, Severn, etc) then he should have called the tune Seventy Island Suite, lol

go to the newsgroup (www.deja.com) for searching further early discussions of this geographical reference....as well as a few regarding 'chicken to go' and other phrases

[Shade of a Maple Tree]

'Sevene Island Suite' has always been one of my top-ten favourite Lightfoot songs. It's a powerful, thought-provoking song, and I think that people thinking critically about the world they live in is exactly the result Gordon wanted to see when he wrote it.

My interpretation of it is that Gord is discussing the downsides of big-city life and how getting back to nature can be a healing experience. "You seem to think because you got chicken to go you're in luck" is a metaphor for how insular, inward-looking, and ultimately ignorant many big-city dwellers can be.

At the same time, Gordon also tells people that material things and the people you think are your closest allies won't necessarily save you when the chips are down.

Finally, when Gordon says, "there's a new wave that is breaking, in the wake of a passing ship; every nation's gonna be shaken, put it together, don't let it slip", seems to be a cryptic reference to what's could happen if people continue to let degradation of the environment happen. Or something along those lines.

[Seven_Islands]

Nothing much to add to the above, but -especially given my username! - it would be remiss of me not to add my lvoe for this song in this thread!