Rick Wakeman outdoes Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos on Return To The Red Planet
Rick Wakeman has followed his 2020 album *The Red Planet* with a new instrumental journey inspired by Mars, drawing on planetary research and mission reports. The review presents the album as both a musical response to new discoveries and a romantic tribute to the planet.
The track *David Bowie’s Vision* features vocalist Mollie Marriott and imagines the Spiders from Mars arriving on Earth, with organ and choral parts. Other highlights include the energetic *Noctis Labyrinthus* and the sweeping *The Epochs Of Mars*, which captures Wakeman’s varied musical style in under eight minutes.
- Rick Wakeman has released a follow-up to *The Red Planet*.
- New Mars research helped inspire the album.
- Highlights include tracks honouring David Bowie and exploring Mars.
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Rick Wakeman is a British keyboard player and composer, best known for his work with the progressive rock band Yes and for solo albums that often use keyboards and orchestral sounds. Mars has long inspired musicians, writers and filmmakers, while space missions and scientific research have revealed more about the planet’s landscape and history.
The title refers to Wakeman’s earlier album The Red Planet, released in 2020. His new instrumental work draws on Mars research and mission reports, while also treating the planet as a subject for imaginative music. One track features singer Mollie Marriott and takes its name from David Bowie, whose music helped shape the fictional idea of the Spiders from Mars.