After over 50 years of patience, this album could also have been named Return to the Innocence of Youth. When the first episode of “Red Planet” appeared out of the blue in 2020, the spirit of juvenile exuberance after 47 years of the long and winding wandering “Journey to the Centre of the Earth”, where once again the full force of his vast array of keyboards united with unparalleled inspiration gets the community excited. Of course, it’s a retour flashback to his glory days, he has pretty much done everything else since , so why not go symphonic and galactic full blast. There are a few new twists however as the Return has vocals, courtesy of Mollie Marriott and a new drummer in Adam Faulkner (replacing Ash Soan). Both axeman Dave Colquhoun and bassist extraordinaire Lee Pomeroy are in staunchly in the fold .
“The Jezero Crater” is a four-part mini-suite with regal flourish, boisterously thrilling, all pomp and circumstance, with a clearly defined melodic line, excellent instrumental qualities and Mollie taking care of the voice requirements with flair. The overall feel is cemented in the fine Wakeman tradition of classy entertainment that also showcases his fluid mastery of his ivory arsenal.
Perhaps alluding to a Major Tom of yore, “Bowie’s Vision “ is another textbook example of how Rick’s fingers can do the talking like no other, frankly. The choir work and vocals add a celestial shudder to the arrangement, the trusted mellotron exploding into the deepest spaces of the mind. Some may not like such endings, but I do!
Shifting into a more medieval theme, “Noctis Labyrinthus” combines more of the expansive choral backgrounds with some devilish interplay between the two horsemen soloists, a full-armored, lance-wielding joust between Rick and Dave, to determine who gets the favour of Lady Marian’s gloved hand. Splinters abound, equine panting and trumpets blaring. What fun !
Travelling even further back into Biblical times, shrouded in distant memory “Noachis Terra (Land of Noah)” offers a more ambient historical content, Mollie singing the ancient story , a definitely floating escapade into the unknown, much like the Ark that would eventually save two of each kind. Wakeman masters the flute patch on his synthesizers to perfection, the conceptual saga firmly rooted in a pulsating navigational beat, scouring the horizon for safe harbour.
A couple of instrumental highlight pieces to keep the juices flowing, what with the frenzied approach on “Witch Hazel Hill” , dazzled by a wizard-like display on the keys, the Lee Pomeroy bass scaling all obstacles along the way, and the electric guitar unafraid to challenge the colossal cascades of choir-mellotron flowing into the melodic valley below. Technically demanding but sounding wholly effortless, this is highly evocative once again. The incredible “St-Paul’s Bay” behaves like a supreme follow-up, closer to the edge of past Yes-isms, with massive symphonic upswings and Colquhoun even daring a shivering Howe homage. But its Wakeman’s sublime organ that rules the roost here, a deliberately effective and extended romp, with the bass defending the percussive posts. Man, can he ever play!
Give that piano some love on the delirious “Martian Dust Devils”, a gently swirling tornado that caresses the planet’s surface, the theatrical premise for a Haslam-esque vocal from our Mollie, long-held notes that soar with delicacy, eventually veering into a floating carnival -like atmosphere, two steps away from Planet Gong! A superbly original diversion that works perfectly due to the melodic anchor, keeping the spaceship steady.
And in the other corner, a little gravellier than mere red sand offering, “Medussae Fossae” has a two-sided combination of dark and light, at times eerie and spectral, while at other moments, bubbling with flickering enthusiasm such as the spectacular acoustic guitar walk on the moon from commander Colquhoun (poetry) . It’s a topsy-turvy piece that works wonderfully in the context of space and time.
Nicely sized epic to seal the mission, “The Epochs of Mars” is your typical grand finale, an astute compilation of all that was played before, combing all the savvy elements needed to make the sonic voyage memorable. With enough ‘sturm und drang’, choir altitudes, grandiose corridors and insistent melodic chords to elate even the laziest prog fan into abject appreciation. The piano and vocal duet is astonishing in its simplicity and hits the core of all emotions, with Mollie presenting her finest moment on the disc.
Yes, Rick !
4.5 gold capes.