 Epic new progressive rock suite from Rick Wakeman following 2020's 'The Red Planet'.
Format: CD / Cat No: SMACD1356 / PRE-ORDER Release Date: 16/10/2026
Track Listing: The Jerezo Crater (06:56) / Bowie's Vision (05:45) / Noctis Labyrinthus (05:28) / Noachis Terra (Land Of Noah) (06:23) / Witch Hazel Hill (04:02) / St. Paul's Bay (06:53) / Martian Dust Devils (04:53) / Medusae Fossae (04:26) / The Epochs Of Mars (07:45)
More information: Following his acclaimed 2020 album 'The Red Planet', Rick Wakeman makes a triumphant & inevitable return to Mars with 'Return To The Red Planet', a sweeping new 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 & 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 & geological epochs, drawing directly on the remarkable images & research that have transformed our understanding of Mars in recent years, Wakeman immersing himself in planetary research, data, & 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 & 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 & 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 & autobiographical - a reflection on a shared history, a lasting friendship & one of rock's most celebrated recordings.
CD edition presented in a 4-panel digipak and includes a 20-page printed booklet.
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