Rick Wakeman takes another voyage into the unknown on Return To The Red Planet, a nine-track progressive rock adventure inspired by Mars and the discoveries that continue to change our understanding of it. Following 2020’s The Red Planet, the keyboard legend finds fresh musical possibilities in the planet’s terrain, history, and unanswered questions.

For Wakeman, the return began with research. New photographs and scientific reports provided material for compositions named after Martian locations and phenomena, including “The Jezero Crater,” “Noctis Labyrinthus,” and “Martian Dust Devils.” The closing piece, “The Epochs Of Mars,” brings the planet’s immense geological timeline into the album’s musical framework. It’s a subject well suited to a composer whose imagination has always extended beyond earthly boundaries.

Joining him are his English Rock Ensemble: bassist Lee Pomeroy, guitarist Dave Colquhoun, drummer Adam Falkner, and vocalist Mollie Marriott, daughter of Steve Marriott. Wakeman developed the initial keyboard arrangements before bringing the musicians together at Decoy Studios, giving the compositions room to grow through collaboration. Symphonic passages, intricate rhythms, and choral textures help give this expedition its scale.

There’s a personal connection among the planetary references, too. “Bowie’s Vision” honors, of course, David Bowie, Wakeman’s friend and collaborator. Having played piano on “Life On Mars?,” Wakeman brings his own history to a tribute that connects the album’s scientific inspiration with rock music’s enduring fascination with space.

Known for his work with Yes and an extensive solo career, Rick Wakeman continues to pursue the expansive ideas that made him a defining figure in progressive rock. On Return To The Red Planet, that curiosity gives him a destination and plenty of reasons to keep exploring.