A Sonic Journey Across Mars
In 2020, Rick Wakeman released The Red Planet. I enjoyed it immensely on vinyl. Six years on, we have Return To The Red Planet.
This time I have a copy of the CD/Blu-ray edition, which includes a CD of the studio album and a Blu-ray disc featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound & Hi-Res Stereo Mixes, and The Making Of The 'Return To The Red Planet' Documentary + a 20-page printed booklet and pop-up art in the center of the digipack.
The accompanying booklet is packed with illustrations, lyrics, band photos, and details about the Martian landscape. I particularly enjoyed the side-by-side pictures of the young Rick in full concert attire with his cape and him today in a space suit. I found it thought-provoking to look at his legacy and trajectory as a world-renowned keyboard player.
“The Jezero Crater” begins your journey to space and the red planet. It starts with radio static and launches into Rick’s sublime keys. At 6:59, one of the longest tracks, Mollie Marriot's beautiful voice enters. As the track develops, the melody changes and the tempo rises and drops. Rick’s keyboard acrobatics are always a treat as he takes the keys through different tones, colors, and bursts of energy. All ensemble members make notable contributions. This is an epic beginning.
“Bowie's Vision” brings back the thoughts of the Thin White Duke’s track “Is There Life on Mars?” from Hunky Dory, the album Rick played on. This track features amazing bass, superb lead guitar lines, and drums that complement it all. Rick’s keys are uplifting and energetic. He can play incredibly fast. A fantastic choir blends with Mollie’s vocals. A gorgeous tribute to Bowie's legend and musical genius. Great track!
“Noctis Labyrinthus” has all the grandeur of Rick’s music. The sounds and tempos are quite different. If the keyboard sound is different, he knows how to present it. The tempo changes are sudden and dramatic, with masterful playing from every part of the band. The transitions are smooth, moving from a high tempo back to a slower tempo, with an orchestral sound and a beautiful background of the merging choir. The track is in constant flux, which makes it so entertaining and exciting.
“Noachis Terra (Land of Noah)” begins gently with Mollie’s lovely vocals. This is a real mellow track with nice layers and restrained bass and drums. The keys are very tasteful even when Rick steps up the pace a bit. Subtle but effective transitions abound. A touch of ancient history and religion comes through, making you stop and think for a minute about life on Mars, whether people were there, or whether that’s where our ancestors migrated from.
“Witch Hazel Hill” shifts into a heavier prog-rock sound. Rick’s distinctive style shines again as the band joins in with powerful drums, bass, and guitar, and the overall mix reaches an apex as the choir comes in to give it that “reach for the sky” effect. This really rocks out more than any other track so far. Love it!
“St Paul's Bay,” continuing the theme of change, offers an entirely different atmosphere. It is very melodic with a great bass line. Rick’s keys have funkiness before they all shift into a spacey core sound with a vintage keyboard (like Jon Lord of Deep Purple), then switch again to a different tempo and keyboard exchange. This continues throughout the track, as it does with all the tracks. Some nice lead guitar lines are featured here as well. The pace shifts from medium-slow to intense, rapid bursts. Brilliant high-energy prog rock!
“Martian Dust Devils” lives up to its name from the start, with whirling, whooshing, whistling synths before changing into an interesting transition of sounds and color before Mollie comes in. The band sounds very deliberate and paced just right for her vocal intonations, with some exceptional bass lines. It has that circus feel at times, which again is perfect for the movement of air and dust as you picture it in your mind’s eye on the surface of Mars (there is a picture of it in the booklet with some info as well). Crazy track, but crazy good.
“Medussae Fossae” brings you back to a rock pace and sound. Melody and transition are the hallmarks of these tracks, regardless of tempo or structure. This felt cinematic and dramatic. At one point, that atmosphere shifts, then a beautiful Latin-influenced acoustic guitar comes online before Rick switches to the Hammond B3 sound. I liked the transitions into the electric guitar parts and how the keys, bass, and drums stepped it up, adding immense color and energy.
“The Epochs of Mars” is Rick’s grand finale, his collection of sound and dedication to his fascination with Mars. Clocking in at 7:46, it is an appropriate way to close out this amazing production and superb musicianship. This track is complex, with many layers and significant changes in keyboard style and sound, all enhanced by the heavenly choir of voices and, of course, Mollie’s strong contributions. The transitions are many; it is all cinema, visionary, and flowing like an ocean of sound. The river feeding that ocean is Rick’s keyboard and synth sounds.
Return To The Red Planet is a resounding triumph for Rick Wakeman and his band, showcasing their boundless creativity and musicianship. We are truly fortunate to experience these imaginative journeys through sound and vision. In the "Making Of" video, Wakeman hints at bringing both albums to the stage, rivaling the scale and ambition of the legendary Journey To The Center of the Earth. Should that ever happen, it would surely be an unmissable event for fans old and new. Until then, this exceptional album offers a compelling adventure to savor again.
Credits:
- Rick Wakeman – Keyboards
- Dave Colquhoun – Guitars
- Lee Pomeroy – Bass
- Adam Falkner – Drums
- Mollie Marriott – Vocals
Available Formats:
- Crystal Clear Gatefold Vinyl LP
- Classic Black Gatefold Vinyl LP
- Digipack CD With 20-page booklet
- CD/Blu-ray edition - includes CD of the studio album + Blu-ray disc featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound & Hi-Res Stereo Mixes and The Making Of The 'Return To The Red Planet' Documentary + 20-page printed booklet- Digital
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck — MuzikMan.net Founder
October 21, 2026