That’s how Rick Wakeman describes his new studio album, The Red Planet. He’s now released more than 90 solo records, which cover a wide variety of musical styles. We went through his back catalogue and picked out the ones that put the ‘P’ into prog.

Words: Paul Elliott, Jerry Ewing, Jo Kendall, Dave Ling, Dom Lawson, Grant Moon, Chris Roberts, Henry Yates

Portrait: Kevin Nixon

THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII

(A&M, 1973)

Wakeman’s second solo release (his first being 1971’s disowned Piano Vibrations). His record company A&M initially dismissed it as ‘unsellable’. The reviews, as Wakeman recalled, were ‘stinking’. And yet The Six Wives Of Henry VIII - a grandiose instrumental concept album fusing progressive rock, classical and jazz, and based on English royal history - would become a multi-million-selling hit. And over time, it has come to be regarded by fans, and by Wakeman himself, as one of his defining works. An extraordinary piece - dazzling in its breadth and complexity, rich in melodic finesse, audacious and unashamedly pompous. And in May 2009 came a final, fitting postscript, when Wakeman performed the whole album - plus, fittingly, Defender Of The Faith - at Hampton Court Palace to mark the 500th anniversary of Henry’s accession to the throne. A knighthood surely beckons.

JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH

(A&M, 1974)

People often cite the explosive run of releases from both Yes and ELP in the early 70s as prime examples of the mesmerising talent on display within progressive rock at the time. Prog would be tempted at add Wakeman (who of course also features on Yes’ spectacular run of Fragile, Close To TheEdge and Tales From Topographic Oceans), whose own run from Six Wives… to Myths And Legends… is equally groundbreaking. Sandwiched in between is what many consider to be the jewel in Wakeman’s crown. Inspired by being taken to see Prokofiev’s Peter And The Wolf as a child, work on Jules Verne’s 1864 novel actually pre-dates Six Wives…, but money for such an audaciously lavish production was always going to be an issue. “I had to mortgage and sell nearly everything I owned in order to make this album as I only had £4,000 from A&M to pay towards it,” Wakeman says. “In fact that is one of the reasons it was recorded live as I just couldn’t afford to record it in the studio.” Despite the financial hassle, the fact there are audible errors and even a wrong section of The Battle is sung at one point and A&M in the UK refused to release it (the US arm of the label came to Wakeman’s rescue), Wakeman had the last laugh, getting his only solo UK No.1 album (it was also A&M’s first ever No.1), selling millions of records and receiving an Ivor Novello and Grammy for his efforts. Wakeman returned to the album in 2012, rerecording it and adding back in the 18 minutes lost to original time constraints. A classic without a doubt.