Oliver Wakeman ‘Mother’s Ruin’ Gets Reissue
The long-unavailable 2005 prog-rock album has been remixed, remastered, and expanded for its 20th anniversary.
Mercury Studios is commemorating two decades of the award-winning composer Oliver Wakeman’s critically acclaimed album Mother’s Ruin with a 20th Anniversary Edition. Out March 13, the long-unavailable prog-rock release has been remixed, remastered, and expanded. It will return to all streaming platforms and be released physically on CD and double LP.
“I was always waiting for the right moment to revisit Mother’s Ruin. Now, 20 years on, the opportunity finally came,” said Wakeman. “It was carefully remixed and updated with today’s tools, presenting the album as I had always envisioned it.”
The new mix of the 14-track album uncovers lost instrumentation and includes alternate versions. Mother’s Ruin was made during a creatively fertile period in Wakeman’s life, when he was developing a standalone band while following in the footsteps of his father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Rick Wakeman, by performing with both Yes and Strawbs.
Originally released in November 2005, Mother’s Ruin was well-received but faced significant setbacks. The record label folded shortly after release while the band was still touring, and the tour cycle was further cut short when Yes summoned Oliver to join the band.
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Despite these challenges, Wakeman has always remained proud of the album’s compositions and musicianship. Revisiting the material with longtime mix engineer Karl Groom (Yes, DragonForce, Threshold, Pendragon) allowed the album to be revitalized. “Rather than a simple remaster, I wanted to explore what could truly be enhanced,” Wakeman explained. “We discovered that several nuances—and even entire keyboard parts—had been lost in the original mix, partly due to the limited technology and budget constraints at the time.”
The bonus material includes an early version of “Calling for You” featuring original band vocalist Damian Wilson, alongside re-recorded tracks by Mother’s Ruin touring vocalist Paul Manzi from a limited-run EP that also included “Busy Going Nowhere.”
Originally conceived as a standalone band, Mother’s Ruin eventually solidified after two lineup changes around the musicians heard on the album: Oliver Wakeman (piano, keyboards, acoustic guitar, production), Moon Kinnaird (vocals), David Mark Pearce (electric guitars), Tim Buchanan (bass), and Dave Wagstaffe (Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash, Steve Howe) on drums and percussion.
Wakeman has released solo albums since 1997. His music has been featured on BBC1, independent television, and in commercial jingles. He is an in-demand session musician who has collaborated with Steve Howe (Yes), Peter Banks (Yes), Tony Fernandez (Strawbs), and many more.
This March, Oliver will perform alongside his father as Wakeman & Son for 13 U.S. dates. In April, he heads to the U.K. for four solo shows, performing “The From a Page Tour: An Evening of Yes and Original Works.” He will return to the U.K. in November for four more shows as part of “The From a Page” tour.
