Seminal folk singer/songwriter Yusuf/Cat Stevens has released a newly recorded and arranged version of his song “On the Road to Find Out,” with an accompanying music video. The song will appear on the artist’s upcoming reissue of his 1970 multi-platinum selling album, Tea for the Tillerman. The reimagined album, aptly titled Tea for the Tillerman 2 will celebrate the original’s 50th anniversary and is set for release on September 18 via UMe
The new version and video for the song has Yusuf/Cat Stevens take a much more stark and bluesy-rock approach to the classic song as a man treks through the desert while pulling a wagon full of artifacts. The video was directed by directors Kimberly Stuckwisch and Melora Donoghue of Invisible Inc. in collaboration with Yusuf.
According to a press release, the video “Is an allegory for humanity’s journey of self-discovery and the historical events, art, and music that have influenced life and culture. Stylistically, we are reminded of sci-fi classics such as “Star Wars,” “Dune” and even “Mad Max” with an added touch of magic realism. Our protagonist struggles to pull a boulder-like mass of artifacts that represent his ties to the material world through a desert landscape. The mass keeps growing until he discovers a small symbol of life in the wilderness – he is then able to discard the shackles of materialism and walk with his soul free and unburdened.”
The release also notes that production of the music video largely kept with the “ecologically conscious approach” to the musician’s recent “Where Do The Children Play?” redux, which will also appear on Tea for the Tillerman 2, by using all-natural light, no generators or electricity, and donating all the items from the boulder to recycling.
Yusuf/Cat Stevens has been an era-defining voice in folk, rock, pop and Islamic music for decades. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 and has released 17 full-length studio albums over the course of his career.
You can check out the original version of “On The Road to Find Out” below.