Oliver Wakeman: Mother's Ruin -- 20th Anniversary Edition

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Submitted by Dennis Russo on Thu, 06/04/2026 - 09:15

This is one of those albums that Oliver made as best as possible with the technology that was available to him at the time, but as an artist he always felt that he wanted more from it. Now, 20 years later, with that technology available, Oliver was able to remix, remaster, and expand this album into everything he always envisioned it would be, and we get to bathe in its glory. He even reworked the album cover again to get it just right.
For those of you unaware, Oliver is the son of the multi-talented YES keyboardist and solo artist Rick Wakeman. Those familiar with both Rick's and Oliver's music know that, musically, in many ways the apple didn't fall far from the tree. A different variety, maybe, but still an apple from the same rootstock.
Upon listening to the album, which contains some of the original versions of songs from the album and EP, the songs are not in stark contrast to one another. Rather, they are more nuanced reimaginings. You may find, as I did, that both versions are quite enjoyable, but the new versions are definitely even better.
It's so apparent when listening to Oliver's music on this album that the influence of his father, as well as YES and Strawbs, is present—and I mean that in a good way, not in a comparative way. While I can detect flavors of each, this album is definitely his music and his approach.
To be able to play with artists of that caliber, as he has in the past, and still remain true to your own sound is the mark of a real professional in my mind.
Along with his fellow musicians in Mother's Ruin—Moon Kinnaird, David Mark Pierce, Tim Buchanan, and Dave Wagstaffe—they created what I feel is a prog-rock essential.
This album also contains bonus material that helps convey the differences between the new versions and the originals, including an early version of “Calling You” featuring original vocalist Damian Wilson and re-recorded tracks by Mother's Ruin touring vocalist Paul Manzi from a limited-run EP that also included “Busy Going Nowhere.”
The CD also has a nice booklet containing song lyrics as well as some very cool imagery that is reminiscent of YES, Pink Floyd, and several others that I can think of—and I am sure you will as well.
I always get excited when getting to listen to a new prog-rock record, even one that was originally released 20 years ago, and right from the start the album grabbed me with a sound that was both progressive and surprisingly heavy.
Wonderfully mastered and remastered, the vocals are crystal clear, pristine, and nicely centered. The mix of the various keyboards used throughout the album, along with the dexterity and creativity displayed in their use, is quite impressive indeed.
It was almost like old-school progressive meets new-school progressive. Even though that “new school” was recorded two decades ago, it still has a fresh progressive sound to it.
The first song on the album, “Don't Come Running,” with its use of keyboards and lyrical expression, gave me flavors of both YES and, to an extent, Uriah Heep, with a touch of metal guitar thrown in similar to many Trans-Siberian Orchestra recordings. Wonderfully created and recorded, I really enjoyed it.
It was this balance that I heard throughout the album that consistently drew me in. All the instruments, sounds, and lyrics tied together so well that the whole song told the story, not just the vocalist. The sound levels of each performer were also perfectly balanced.
This album was mixed and engineered beautifully on this redux.
The second song on the album, “The Agent,” even had a sort of nostalgic 1950s sci-fi movie keyboard sound to it, which you wouldn't normally expect to hear in a prog-rock album—or any album, for that matter—but it's here, and I thought it was very cleverly used within the context of the song.
There are also songs here that I feel really paid homage to the sound that Rick Wakeman created years ago, mixed with effects and harmonies that bring to mind several Alan Parsons Project songs.

Now, don't think of this album as one where Oliver simply mixed the sounds of other prog-rock greats together. Quite the contrary. This album stands on its own, and I don't think any of those other bands could have created an album such as this one.
From start to finish, this album is a progressive journey that needs to be experienced as a complete work.
It's just that it flows beautifully from one song to the next, with a complexity that reminds me in some ways of Jethro Tull—to the point where I think real prog fans will eat it up.
My favorite songs on the album are “Mother's Ruin” and “If You're Leaving.” The former opens with a haunting chorus that reminded me of “Center of Eternity” from Ozzy Osbourne's Bark at the Moon album—not as fast, but with a hauntingly similar atmosphere that gives way to an eerie, megaphone-infused vocal. As the song progresses, the normal vocal begins with wonderfully crafted lyrics and guitar work that reminded me of something that could have come from Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Beethoven's Last Night, while being delivered in a manner that also brought Pink Floyd's The Wall to mind.
The latter song, with its grand piano and vocal hanging right in front of me, is gorgeous. It starts slowly and builds momentum into an almost ethereal experience, bouncing back and forth between dreamy piano-and-voice passages and full, room-filling instrumentation.
There's even a song from the EP, “Busy Going Nowhere,” that has a sort of nightclub feel to it. It starts with a slightly extended soft-piano introduction that reminded me of how Jethro Tull's “Locomotive Breath” begins, but the similarity ends there. Once the vocal kicks in, the song takes on a piano-bar atmosphere all its own. You may wonder how that fits into a progressive rock album, but when you listen to the album as a whole, it fits perfectly.
As I'm sure you can tell, I thoroughly enjoyed this album from start to finish, and it was even more enjoyable listening to the changes, enhancements, and remastering compared to the original release.
It reminds me of many other great prog-rock albums and bands, but it is clearly and unmistakably its own creation.
I think it is the mark of a real musical genius to be able to look at a body of work created 20 years earlier, using the technology available at the time, and then revisit it with modern tools and enough passion to say, “I like what we did, but I'm going back in and creating it the way I always wanted it to be.” Then, to actually make that vision a reality, is remarkable.
If you haven't had the opportunity to listen to the album since it first came out—or even if you have—I think it is definitely worth your while to experience this exceptional album in its fully realized glory. I just don't see how anyone who appreciates eclectic prog rock could fail to enjoy it.