Rick Wakeman & The English Rock Ensemble Return to the Red Planet 2LP

Following his acclaimed 2020 album The Red Planet, Rick Wakeman makes a triumphant and inevitable return to Mars with Return to the Red Planet, a sweeping progressive work that fuses science, imagination & musical virtuosity into one of the most ambitious recordings of his career.

At a time when space exploration has moved back to the forefront of human endeavour – with missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond once again capturing the world's imagination – Return to the Red Planet feels both timely & visionary, rekindling the cosmic spirit that helped define progressive rock's golden age.

Where its predecessor opened the story, this album explores the planet's ancient lakes, vast canyon systems, shifting dust storms and geological epochs, drawing directly on the remarkable images and research that have transformed our understanding of Mars in recent years, Wakeman immersing himself in planetary research, data, and mission reports before a single note was written.

"Once I started looking at the new data & photographs, I realised there was an entirely new album waiting to be written. There was simply too much more to say about Mars – musically & spiritually – not to return." – Rick Wakeman

Recorded between August 2025 & January 2026, the project also marks a welcome return to full band recording, with all musicians working together at Decoy Studios – a creative approach Wakeman considers essential to capturing the spontaneity and energy of progressive rock at its best.

The album is performed by Wakeman's English Rock Ensemble, featuring bassist Lee Pomeroy, guitarist Dave Colquhoun, drummer Adam Falkner and vocalist Mollie Marriott, daughter of legendary Steve Marriott. The album was mastered by renowned engineer Simon Heyworth.

"This isn't just another Rick Wakeman album. It's a bloody good one!" -Simon Heyworth – Producer of Tubular Bells

Among the album's centrepieces is "Bowie's Vision," a deeply personal homage to Wakeman's friend David Bowie, whose fascination with Mars helped shape popular culture's image of the planet. The connection is more than thematic: Wakeman performed the iconic piano on Bowie's "Life on Mars?," making this tribute both musical and autobiographical – a reflection on a shared history, a lasting friendship & one of rock's most celebrated recordings.

The music was initially composed as keyboard "templates" at Nursery Studios, before being expanded collaboratively by the band at Decoy Studios and engineered by Toby Wood. Final overdubs and mixing with producer/engineer Erik Jordan bring the vision into sharp focus – from sweeping symphonic passages to intricate rhythmic sequences & haunting choral textures.

Praise for The Red Planet (2020):

"An astonishing return to form…Wakeman at his most imaginative" – Prog Magazine

"A richly detailed symphonic rock journey" – Classic Rock

Wakeman needs little introduction. A central figure during his many years with Yes, he is also one of the most successful solo artists in progressive rock history, with a catalogue of over one hundred albums & global sales in the tens of millions. His career as a session musician includes landmark recordings with David Bowie, Elton John, Cat Stevens and many more, establishing him as one of the most distinctive keyboard voices of his generation.

This 2LP edition of Return to the Red Planet is presented in gatefold packaging and pressed on black vinyl.