"So I took a journey from my world into the sea". Both my somewhat crazed PhD training program mentors got awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2015. They made the water deep.
I used to get a big smile on my face when this song came on my transistor radio as a kid 🙂 walking home from grade school. Such a great a song. Great band.
Always one of my favorite by this group. Aside from everything else that makes it so good it is just one of those songs that makes me feel a certain way. Cosmo may have actually explained it-it’s that it has that “sound” that reminds me of 70s rock. In many ways it is similar as to how Pretzel Logic by Steely Dan makes me feel.
This was first recorded as the B-side of their January 1970 single, "The Witch's Promise." This version, with a more rock-oriented sound and faster tempo, was re-recorded for their album released later in 1970, "Banquet." "Teacher" in this version was now an A-side single release as well and charted in both the U.S. and UK. To this day, it's one of the most popular Tull songs, appearing on a score of compilations. In 1985, Ian Anderson re-recorded it in an orchestral setting. Thanks to Cosmo and Harri.
Songs like this and Witches Promise ŵere what made me a fan in 1971/72. I was living in what I called a Neal Diamond town. A friend lent me a copy of Living in the Past and I played it so often I had to buy a new copy for my friend. Sort of wore his copy out!
Harri, when I talk about the riff that opens the song epitomizing the sound of '70s rock, I'm imagining I'm an editor on a high school movie, set in the 'early to mid-70s. The director shows me a scene of a cocky teen hopping into his Mustang or Camaro or GTO (pick your favorite muscle car), firing up its V8 engine, and peeling out to pick up his girl or cruise the town. The director says to me, *"Cosmo, I want an iconic '70s rock song to blare from his car radio the moment he starts the engine, but I don't want it to be too famous or overused. I don't want anything predictable like, "Kashmir", or, "Smoke On The Water", I want a song that will transport folks my age back to the '70s, but have younger viewers think, "Wow, what is that song?!"* I would give him, "Teacher".
Hi there, Teacher was on the American version of Benefit while the European version had Inside instead. Teacher was later included on the 2 LP retroperspective album Living In The Past. I had a funny version with Teacher printed on the cover and Inside on the record. Must be a penny worth now. Hi from Berlin, Germany
ian anderson said he was trained on guitar but when he saw jimmy hendrix in england in 67, he switched over to flute, this was one of the 1st albums i bought in 1970,i was 13,i think its their best
Want to really hear some early Tull that you wouldn’t expect (beautiful flute on this one), go listen to “Reasons For Waiting” released on the album “Stand Up” in 1969. Then follow that one up with "Sossity; You're A Woman” released on the same album as “Teacher".
Another song girls in my dorm would come to my room to ask who was singing. I played flute in hs & love when I hear one in a song. And my older brother bonded over Tull! 🎶💙
Ian Anderson wrote this song hoping to appeal to the masses, get a US hit and break into the charts here. The Hammond organ is so groovy, with that wonderful 70's appeal. They started as a blues band before expanding to many genres. The guitars and the great drums, accompanied by the flutes, just stellar. Yes, I'd say it was a great contribution to the sounds of 70's great music Cosmo. Great reaction Harri. Thanks Harri and Cosmo 👏👏 Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
A great illustration of JT's work. Subtle changes, yet powerful impact. Love the verses being relatively quiet musically, then the chorus cranking it up. Ian Anderson's vocals excellent, the flute of course(but it blends nicely with the organ)...excellence
Just watched your reaction to Elvis Presley singing "What now my love"? Well Frank Sinatra wasn't tne first to record it, Dame Shirley Bassey did it. The way it should be done. Gives you goosebumps. Play it loud in your earphones. BRILLIANT. Good luck
Jethro Tull has a different sound...in a good way. The voice and flute. I remember that guitar riff when the music breaks down. Nice to hear this song again. Thanks Cosmo and Harri!!
Cosmo, as always, I enjoyed your comment leading into the song. After giving it some thought I quite agree. Anyway, I always enjoy this band. Harri concurs. 🌺✌️
This song was not offered on the English release of Benefit. You'll only find it on the U.S. version of vinyl l.p. it's been included with all the later remaster cd's. When JT was a Blues Rock band. Their best time.
Ian Anderson said of The Teacher "In fact, what I was singing about was more those creepy guru figures that would mislead innocent young minds like those of the Beatles. They would suck in people and use the power of persuasion to bend their will and lead them on a spiritual path to enlightenment. And a lot of the time, of course, it was just about getting your money and driving around in a big, white Rolls-Royce, which struck me as worthy of writing a song about. I wasn't singing necessarily about spiritual leaders of a particular ethnic persuasion or a particular religious view, but just the idea of the teacher, the guru". 😮
Even as a kid I got that impression of this song because alternative religions/spirituality were a big thing and there were many out on the West Coast in the 60s/70s. And then you would see that the Beatles and others in popular culture were into that kind of thing. I remember when the Rolls Royce's were confiscated from that guru. Alan Watts is probably my favorite philosopher of that time period. Some were good like Watts, others were total thieves.
I’m a subscriber for obvious reasons, but at the same time, I really appreciate that you often select tracks that popularity wise are off the beaten path. Teacher is a prime example. It’s one of their best songs of all time. Thank you for that and for all your efforts. If I could make a recommendation you might be worthwhile considering a track from their Stand Up album i(1969). It’s a cover of the famous classical piece Bourée, and still one of the coolest jazz rock tracks of all time. Cheers!
Cosmo - Jethro Tull featured Ian Anderson who went on to become immensely popular ever since the 70s. Great submission Cosmo and Harri your review was excellent. Bravo to both of you. Okay then, now is a good time for me to play their Aqualung album.
From their 3rd album.. Their 2nd album, Standup, and 3rd, Benefit, were their best… it started to go downhill with Aqualung and after that … they diddled and dawdled
Not sure where the audio came from, but I remember the original album audio being a lot clearer and better mixed - a listen to the original might bring some things out that are missing on this version
Interestingly this song is brought up in your channel which is actually about the skepticism of gurus in American society by Jethro Tull. You know the gurus in the West have to use more of their persuasive powers than the gurus in India or the sages of Buddhism simply because the West is more accustomed to an affluent lifestyle so to let them see the truth of life the gurus in the West had to use both of their oratory and persuasive skills. Remember what Jeffrey President of VASA said - the English Language borrowed a lot of words from Sanskrit do English Language was also the right medium to convert a lot of non-comverters. While on the West the people see these western gurus as manipulative. In the East the Eastern gurus see them as living a Machiavellian lifestyle Well now we are in the 3020s and have left all that behind us and an academy has been built 8m America that cuts across all diverse ethnic perspectives and mundane diveser perspectives regarding wealth etc as the world on general is more uplifting in spirit signified by Jupiter. There is one astrological perspective on Bedic Astrology where Jupiter and Mars are enemies. Mars is concerned with the protection of assets that propagatr mundane living keeping them separate and not intermingle oof ossible. Jupiter is just the oosite seeing life as a uplifted whole
I agree it's a great riff but he's holding back. The guitar parts, but the lyrics aren't that deep for Jethro Tull, is he even saying anything? For a contrast there's always My God.
Hari. I want to recommend these three Tull songs for your review. Living in the past, For a thousand mothers and Witches promise, Thanks your the best.
"MY GOD" "MY GOD" "MY GOD" "MY GOD" "MY GOD" It will send shivers up your spine...!
But you have to follow that tune up with “Hymn 43”!
Absolutely my favorite jethro tull song ❤
Same here 😊
So is mine
I can’t choose a favorite Tull song. My pops was a highly skilled flautist who could play by ear and often played along with Jethro Tull. I miss him.🍻
Benefits my favorite Tull album...❤
Jethro Tull -- a classic rock band that deserves more accolades. They have many great songs and albums.
Teacher/Hymn 43 are my favorites!
Guitarist Martin Barre had a sound that became the 'metal guitar' sound. imo I'm a longtime fan of JT. A great stage show every time. ☮❤🎶
This song was my introduction to Tull and I was instantly hooked, back in the day.
Classic album
Harris, This is my favorite Tull album.
"So I took a journey from my world into the sea". Both my somewhat crazed PhD training program mentors got awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2015. They made the water deep.
I used to get a big smile on my face when this song came on my transistor radio as a kid 🙂 walking home from grade school. Such a great a song. Great band.
Great song. Interesting interplay between flute and guitar on this song. Thanks for the reaction.
Might be my favorite early Tull song.
It would definitely be up there for me too, but I am more of a fan of their late 70's folk influenced stuff
One of the Tull songs I could listen to at any time... and have, many, many, many times. Every song doesn't have to be super deep or a prog epic.
Finally a reactor who knows music
I have fond memories of Jethro Tull. Thanks Cosmo and Harri....
You betcha, Miss Cynthia! :D
Listened to this song literally a thousand times and it still sounds fresh.The Benefit album is sure fire from start to finish. Thanks Cosmo!
My pleasure, mike, glad to make it 1,001 for ya.
Always one of my favorite by this group. Aside from everything else that makes it so good it is just one of those songs that makes me feel a certain way. Cosmo may have actually explained it-it’s that it has that “sound” that reminds me of 70s rock. In many ways it is similar as to how Pretzel Logic by Steely Dan makes me feel.
Cool man, glad you dug my Intro!
This was first recorded as the B-side of their January 1970 single, "The Witch's Promise." This version, with a more rock-oriented sound and faster tempo, was re-recorded for their album released later in 1970, "Banquet." "Teacher" in this version was now an A-side single release as well and charted in both the U.S. and UK. To this day, it's one of the most popular Tull songs, appearing on a score of compilations. In 1985, Ian Anderson re-recorded it in an orchestral setting. Thanks to Cosmo and Harri.
The album was Benefit, not Banquet.
The album name was, Benefit. As for the two versions, I heard the UK doesn't have the flute solo. Thanks for commenting, John.
Songs like this and Witches Promise ŵere what made me a fan in 1971/72. I was living in what I called a Neal Diamond town. A friend lent me a copy of Living in the Past and I played it so often I had to buy a new copy for my friend. Sort of wore his copy out!
Harri, when I talk about the riff that opens the song epitomizing the sound of '70s rock, I'm imagining I'm an editor on a high school movie, set in the 'early to mid-70s. The director shows me a scene of a cocky teen hopping into his Mustang or Camaro or GTO (pick your favorite muscle car), firing up its V8 engine, and peeling out to pick up his girl or cruise the town. The director says to me, *"Cosmo, I want an iconic '70s rock song to blare from his car radio the moment he starts the engine, but I don't want it to be too famous or overused. I don't want anything predictable like, "Kashmir", or, "Smoke On The Water", I want a song that will transport folks my age back to the '70s, but have younger viewers think, "Wow, what is that song?!"* I would give him, "Teacher".
"Hey man what's the plan, what was that you said"
Hi there,
Teacher was on the American version of Benefit while the European version had Inside instead. Teacher was later included on the 2 LP retroperspective album Living In The Past.
I had a funny version with Teacher printed on the cover and Inside on the record. Must be a penny worth now.
Hi from Berlin, Germany
An all time favorite ❤
Listen to the drummer on around 5:13 it sounds when getting into the song saying SPlish, splish, splish
A jewel.
ian anderson said he was trained on guitar but when he saw jimmy hendrix in england in 67, he switched over to flute, this was one of the 1st albums i bought in 1970,i was 13,i think its their best
Want to really hear some early Tull that you wouldn’t expect (beautiful flute on this one), go listen to “Reasons For Waiting” released on the album “Stand Up” in 1969. Then follow that one up with "Sossity; You're A Woman” released on the same album as “Teacher".
Another song girls in my dorm would come to my room to ask who was singing. I played flute in hs & love when I hear one in a song. And my older brother bonded over Tull! 🎶💙
this is a great song. Thank you for this reaction. I suggest Song from the Woods next.
My favorite JT song
Ian Anderson wrote this song hoping to appeal to the masses, get a US hit and break into the charts here.
The Hammond organ is so groovy, with that wonderful 70's appeal. They started as a blues band before expanding to many genres.
The guitars and the great drums, accompanied by the flutes, just stellar. Yes, I'd say it was a great contribution to the sounds of 70's great music Cosmo.
Great reaction Harri. Thanks Harri and Cosmo 👏👏 Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
Right on, and rock on, Mary!!!
Thanks for commenting. :)
@Cosmo-Kramer Thank you Cosmo. That's my plan. 😉😉 👍✌️🎶🇨🇦🤗🇺🇲🇩🇰🇬🇧🎶
A great illustration of JT's work. Subtle changes, yet powerful impact. Love the verses being relatively quiet musically, then the chorus cranking it up. Ian Anderson's vocals excellent, the flute of course(but it blends nicely with the organ)...excellence
l♥️ve the storytelling and 🎶, Great 1 ❣️
THIS WAS EARLY EARLY TULL HARRI SO, GREAT ARRANGEMENT OF COURSE BY IAN! 😊
Just watched your reaction to Elvis Presley singing "What now my love"? Well Frank Sinatra wasn't tne first to record it, Dame Shirley Bassey did it. The way it should be done. Gives you goosebumps. Play it loud in your earphones. BRILLIANT. Good luck
Jethro Tull has a different sound...in a good way. The voice and flute. I remember that guitar riff when the music breaks down. Nice to hear this song again. Thanks Cosmo and Harri!!
Agreed, brother 'drummin, they do have a different sound. Different, and yet so '70s sounding.
NIIIIICCCCCE HARRI 😊
I recommend "Nothing to Say" from the same album. Moody, pensive, beautiful song. Even if you don't react here, I recommend a listen.
Cosmo, as always, I enjoyed your comment leading into the song. After giving it some thought I quite agree. Anyway, I always enjoy this band. Harri concurs. 🌺✌️
This was the US version, the flute was added for the US market. The UK version did not have the flute solo.
This song was not offered on the English release of Benefit. You'll only find it on the U.S. version of vinyl l.p. it's been included with all the later remaster cd's.
When JT was a Blues Rock band. Their best time.
Ian Anderson said of The Teacher "In fact, what I was singing about was more those creepy guru figures that would mislead innocent young minds like those of the Beatles. They would suck in people and use the power of persuasion to bend their will and lead them on a spiritual path to enlightenment. And a lot of the time, of course, it was just about getting your money and driving around in a big, white Rolls-Royce, which struck me as worthy of writing a song about. I wasn't singing necessarily about spiritual leaders of a particular ethnic persuasion or a particular religious view, but just the idea of the teacher, the guru". 😮
Even as a kid I got that impression of this song because alternative religions/spirituality were a big thing and there were many out on the West Coast in the 60s/70s. And then you would see that the Beatles and others in popular culture were into that kind of thing. I remember when the Rolls Royce's were confiscated from that guru. Alan Watts is probably my favorite philosopher of that time period. Some were good like Watts, others were total thieves.
Alan Watts and Tolkien got me through high school.
I’m a subscriber for obvious reasons, but at the same time, I really appreciate that you often select tracks that popularity wise are off the beaten path. Teacher is a prime example. It’s one of their best songs of all time. Thank you for that and for all your efforts. If I could make a recommendation you might be worthwhile considering a track from their Stand Up album i(1969). It’s a cover of the famous classical piece Bourée, and still one of the coolest jazz rock tracks of all time. Cheers!
Classic song. Cosmo pulls one out from his magic hat again.
Right on, gary, glad you dug it!
hey harri, youre on a roll
Ok. I have to go to bed unfortunately 😢 Have to go to the eye Dr. tm. Have a great night. Wish I could keep listening 😮
Hey man what’s the plan what was that you said 🤘 - 🍻 Cosmo!
☮️💙💙💙🔥🔥🔥😎
👍
Cosmo - Jethro Tull featured Ian Anderson who went on to become immensely popular ever since the 70s. Great submission Cosmo and Harri your review was excellent. Bravo to both of you. Okay then, now is a good time for me to play their Aqualung album.
I prefer the alternative version on the compilation "M.U. - The Best of Jethro Tull" which is tighter.
From their 3rd album.. Their 2nd album, Standup, and 3rd, Benefit, were their best… it started to go downhill with Aqualung and after that … they diddled and dawdled
Lots of great songs on the early albums. For me, the downhill slide started after Thick As A Brick.
Not sure where the audio came from, but I remember the original album audio being a lot clearer and better mixed - a listen to the original might bring some things out that are missing on this version
There was a single (B-side to "Witches Promise") released before the song was re-recorded for the US album.
Interestingly this song is brought up in your channel which is actually about the skepticism of gurus in American society by Jethro Tull.
You know the gurus in the West have to use more of their persuasive powers than the gurus in India or the sages of Buddhism simply because the West is more accustomed to an affluent lifestyle so to let them see the truth of life the gurus in the West had to use both of their oratory and persuasive skills.
Remember what Jeffrey President of VASA said - the English Language borrowed a lot of words from Sanskrit do English Language was also the right medium to convert a lot of non-comverters.
While on the West the people see these western gurus as manipulative. In the East the Eastern gurus see them as living a Machiavellian lifestyle
Well now we are in the 3020s and have left all that behind us and an academy has been built 8m America that cuts across all diverse ethnic perspectives and mundane diveser perspectives regarding wealth etc as the world on general is more uplifting in spirit signified by Jupiter.
There is one astrological perspective on Bedic Astrology where Jupiter and Mars are enemies. Mars is concerned with the protection of assets that propagatr mundane living keeping them separate and not intermingle oof ossible. Jupiter is just the oosite seeing life as a uplifted whole
Oh, I think its measured guitar is the appeal! Too much would have crushed the flow (in my opinion)
Only got this on the double album _Living_ _In_ _The_ _Past_ - on vinyl. This sounds weak and watery for some reason.
I agree it's a great riff but he's holding back. The guitar parts, but the lyrics aren't that deep for Jethro Tull, is he even saying anything? For a contrast there's always My God.
...and that heavy flute riff/solo/whatever else it is, that I really like.
Hari. I want to recommend these three Tull songs for your review. Living in the past, For a thousand mothers and Witches promise, Thanks your the best.