Oliver Wakeman Reissues Mother’s Ruin for 20th Anniversary

Photo: Courtesy of Mercury Studios

Twenty years after it first slipped into the world and then had the rug pulled out from under it, Oliver Wakeman is bringing Mother’s Ruin back the way he always heard it in his head—bigger, clearer, and finally given the runway it deserved.

Mercury Studios is commemorating two decades of the award-winning composer, keyboardist, and pianist’s critically acclaimed album with Mother’s Ruin – 20th Anniversary Edition, a remixed, remastered, and expanded release arriving March 13, 2026. Long unavailable, the prog-rock gem will return to all major streaming platforms and will also 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,” Wakeman said. “It was carefully remixed and updated with today’s tools, presenting the album as I had always envisioned it.”

Mother’s Ruin – 20th Anniversary Edition reveals new dimensions through a nuanced, modern mix that uncovers lost instrumentation and adds bonus material including alternate versions. The 14-track collection also serves as a snapshot of a creatively fertile period, when Wakeman was developing Mother’s Ruin as a standalone band while simultaneously following in his father’s footsteps—as the eldest son of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Rick Wakeman—performing with Yes and Strawbs. 

This March, Wakeman will perform alongside his father as Wakeman & Son for 13 U.S. dates, followed by four April U.K. dates of his own, performing The From a Page Tour: An Evening of Yes and Original Works. 

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 Wakeman to join the band.

Despite the challenges, Wakeman has 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 offers a deep dive into Mother’s Ruin lore, including an early version of “Calling for You” featuring original band vocalist Damian Wilson, alongside re-recorded tracks by 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. The resulting album is a masterful, multi-faceted work—anthemic and theatrical, ethereal and haunting, elegantly intimate, and brimming with Wakeman’s imaginative melodies, adventurous arrangements, and dazzling musicianship.

Since first launching solo releases in 1997, Wakeman’s music has appeared on BBC1, independent television, and in commercial jingles. He has also worked as an in-demand session musician and collaborator, including projects with Steve Howe (Yes), Peter Banks (Yes), Tony Fernandez (Strawbs), Rick Wakeman, Tracey Hitchings (Landmarq), Bob Catley (Magnum), and guitarist Gordon Giltrap, among many others.

As a composer, Wakeman has been commissioned to write new age, incidental music, and film scores, earning multiple best soundtrack awards for his work on the animated film Yendor by British illustrator and album cover artist Rodney Matthews. From 2008 to 2011, he was a member of Yes, appearing on 2011’s Fly From Here and 2019’s mini-album From a Page, and was also a member of Strawbs during that period.

For more information, visit: oliverwakeman.co.uk | mercurystudios.co