Damage Control are a power trio formed by Robin George…what you get on Raw is good old fashioned blues rock. One of the joys of the album is, as the name implies, the raw sound of George’s guitar; its rough edge dominating this classic sounding album. Classic Rock Society Magazine  Formed by Robin George, with Pete Way and Chris Slade, this powerhouse trio rocks the blues. Mojo  Only a moron would dismiss an album that pools the pedigree of Robin George (ex-Thin Lizzy), Chris Slade (ex-AC/DC) and Pete Way (ex-Ozzy). The three warhorses of Damage Control stare defiantly from Raw’s back cover with snarls and sunglasses. Needless to say these guys can all play- George’s beefy, British sounding guitar, in particular would thrill even if he was playing Three Blind Mice… A British Rock Supergroup, Damage Control produces an album of bluesy hard rock..although at times the sound takes on a surprisingly grungy edge. The three musicians involved are all undoubtedly skilled veterans of the rock scene and Robin has plenty of nice licks up his sleeve. Heavy Magazine
	Wow, what a line up this is! On Damage Control's second album we have guitar hero Robin George; UFO & Waysted bass legend Pete Way; and former Uriah Heep, AC/DC, Asia, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, and The Firm drummer Chris Slade. Together they form a self confessed "unholy trinity" brought to life by the need to whip up some of the best, full on, "in your face", uncomplicated rock I have heard in many a misspent night. Putting their album Raw into your CD player is like lighting the blue touch paper and not having the sense to retreat back to a safe distance. This is everything the album title suggests with Damage Control living up to their promise of serving up some “cruel, hard, and brutal”, yet “fun” rock. The pedigree is self evident and their instinctive understanding gels like some dangerous concoction. It smokes, it fizzes, it smolders and it’s in danger of setting the place alight. It’s gritty, it’s raunchy, and it’s downright dirty. It’s full of sleazy riffs. It’s Raw, and it’s right up my street! Okay, let’s talk about that pedigree. In 1985 Robin George released an excellent solo album called Dangerous Music. It fulfilled much of that potential that would see him working with the likes of David Byron, Phil Lynott, and John Wetton. He even recorded separate projects with Glenn Hughes and Robert Plant both of which were destined to remain unreleased for many years. Robin’s career also saw the release of the superb Rock Of Ageists album and a growing reputation as a producer working with Diamond Head, Witchfinder General, and (here’s the connection) UFO bass player Pete Way’s band Waysted. Wayward Way was, and is once again, the mainstay bassist in UFO the band he left to form Fastway with ex Motorhead guitarist ‘Fast’ Eddie Clarke. Then came a spell with Ozzy Osbourne before he finally reunited with UFO. This isn’t Damage Control’s first album. In 2006 they released their self-titled debut which featured the Quireboys' own Spike on vocals. Now with Raw they set about recording something that “did not have a single effect on the whole album, no echo, no reverbs, no aural embellishments whatsoever”. So Raw was born. It hits all the targets with a relentless stomp of quality British hard rock riffs that has the vocals covered this time by Robin and Pete. This pairing comes together brilliantly on “Bitchin’ Blues” which sees Robin take the chorus from Pete’s verses. “Slaughtered” comes with a large slice of country blues. It's sung by Robin and includes the great line, “I like a lot of whiskey with my water.” Meanwhile, the track “Damage Control” has one of those aforementioned down and dirty riffs. The sleazy blues of “Victim”, leads nicely into the sultry smolder that is “Seven Golden Daffodils”. Other highlights include the seductive opener “Raw”, the infectious pairing of “Alice” and “Savage Song.” The grinding “One Step Closer” just demands to be replayed time and again. “Selfish” teases us down, as does the excellent stand out “Redundant”, both of which radiate all the raw quality that you could ever want. This band is a three headed monster that seizes you by the throat and throttles you into submission. With a line-up like this, and the understanding they have, Raw just cannot fail to produce something attention grabbing. Jeff Perkins  EuroRock
	Formed in 2006, Damage Control were put together by three veterans of the UK Hard Rock scene, namely vocalist / guitarist Robin George (solo artist, Phil Lynott, David Byron, Magnum), bassist Pete Way (UFO, Waysted) and drummer Chris Slade (Asia, AC/DC, Uriah Heep). Raw marked the trio's debut album and now receives a re-release via specialist label Angel Air, whose catalogue boasts a treasure trove of long forgotten gems. The songs here are slick and melodic with their roots heavily in the blues rock scene of the 70's where all three first plied their trade. George delivers some polished solos and riffs and his earthy vocal delivery perfectly suits the vibe with Way and Slade laying down a solid groove and they strike a good balance between up-tempo rockers, ballads and moody blues tunes of which "One Step Closer" provides a real highlight. A second album from Damage Control remains a possibility albeit Pete Way's recent health problems may prevent this from happening in the near future. As it is we are left with this debut effort to enjoy a solid blues-based hard rock album from these illustrious musicians. This was an album that was released too little fanfare when it first appeared but is worthy of re-appreciation and the three really gel to give a tantalising glimpse of the potential therein.  Sea of Tranquility
	The David Byron Band This is enjoyable rock; great vocals, great guitar and good keys feature…A little slice of history. Classic Rock Society Magazine David Byron Band - Lost and Found (Double CD, Angel Air, Rock/pop) Most of us only know David Byron as the lead vocalist in the 1970s progressive rock band Uriah Heep...and that is most certainly what he is universally remembered for. David's high range wailing was one of the trademarks of the Uriah Heep sound...along with the ultra-big keyboard sounds of Ken Hensley. After several years of major success with Heep, apparently Byron and Hensley started having interpersonal problems...and David ended up leaving the band. Sadly, in 1985 he ended up dying from what were apparently complications related with alcohol consumption. Lost and Found sheds light on Byron's post-Heep music. The double disc set features material recorded from 1980 to 1982 with Robin George. The tracks on this album are much more like direct shots of rock and blues than what was offered by Uriah Heep. This is an interesting snapshot showing what could've been if David had survived. In addition to studio tracks, the second CD also includes eight cuts recorded live in Liverpool in 1980. Baby Sue Rock Reviews Boasts great guitar lines from Robin George and might be today regarded as a minor classic if only it had been released at the time. An interesting release I certainly enjoyed listening to.  Heavy Magazine David Byron Band  – Lost And Found  - Angel Air The late David Byron deserved a better lot in life, but like too many others before him he died of a lifestyle;  succumbing  to his battle with alcoholism in 1985 only a month after his thirty eighth birthday. Byron of course made his mark as the charismatic front man for Uriah Heep who between 1969 and 1976 churned out ten albums which included such classics as Demons & Wizards and The Magician’s Birthday. However by 1976 his problems had escalated to the point where Heep were forced to sack him. Without the security of Heep, and more importantly without a strong songwriting partner like Ken Hensley or Mick Box, Byron’s various post-Heep projects and solo career never really got off the ground. Lost And Found is double CD re-release from Angel Air Records that gathers together David’s demo recordings, rehearsals, and portions of a live show recorded in Liverpool in 1980. Disc one concentrates on original recordings from 1982 and features the young baby faced guitarist Robin George trying his best to rev up what unfortunately amounts to a bunch of tepid sounding rockers, although Byron does turn in a very poignant vocal on the final track “One Minute More”. The second disc only fairs slightly better, as it begins by taking the listener through a rather ragged sounding London rehearsal from 1981.The set concludes with the energetic Liverpool show, which sees the band, which in addition to George also featured sax man Mel Collins, concentrating primarily on new material from his then yet to be released On The Rocks album. Songs like “Bad Girl” and “Start Believing” definitely comes across better in the live setting, and in general the material here has more of an edge to it than the studio versions. Byron doesn’t abandon his past entirely either as they offer up a couple of Heep classics in “July Morning” and “Sweet Lorraine” to keep the punters happy. Is it enough to make this collection a worthwhile purchase? Well I’d say if you’re a casual fan then you can probably afford to take a pass on Lost And Found. If on the other hand you’re a diehard fan of both Heep and David Byron’s solo work, then you’ll probably want to add this one to your collection, even though it definitely feels like it’s aimed at the completist.     -Ryan Sparks Unearthed from the personal archives of guitarist Robin George, Lost and Found covers the era of the David Byron Band from the early 80's and is issued as an expansive two disc set via Angel Air. Disc One offers the bands demos from 1982 for an album that never ultimately saw the light of day; the charismatic Byron was clearly still singing well even at this point in his career and in Robin George he had found an ideal guitarist to give the material a more contemporary edge. George contributes some smooth blues based riffs and "Bad Girl" and "Fool For A Pretty Face" would both have made ideal singles. Disc Two is split between band rehearsals from 1981 and eight songs from a live show in Liverpool in 1980. The latter is of particular interest as an example of just how tight the band were at the time and inevitably the Uriah Heep classics "July Morning" and "Sweet Lorraine" are the highlights and made all the more memorable by some sprightly sax from Mel Collins. Detailed sleeve notes and previously unseen photographs make this a very worthwhile package and one which hold significant appeal for fans of the golden age of Uriah Heep and provides an excellent reminder of what a star performer David Byron really was and how much he is missed.
	Damage Control is a UK based band formed in 2006, consisting of veteran drummer Chris Slade (Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Asia, AC/DC, The Firm, Uriah Heep, + quite a few others), veteran bass player Pete Way (Ufo, Waysted), English AOR musician Robin George and former Quireboys vocalist Spike. They released their debut album in 2007, and since then vocalist Spike has left the band, and they have decided to continue as a trio with Way and George taking over vocals. "Raw" is basically a remake of their self-titled debut album, with 10 tracks from that one and two new compositions recorded with the band as a trio. Musically we're talking blues influenced rock on this release. The album kicks off with a trio of hard rock tunes with noticeable blues influences, and then steadily evolves towards a more purified blues rock style until the album ends with the gritty, slide guitar dominated tune "Bitching Blues". People with more experience of the genre than me can probably point to influences left and right here, personally I only identified one; ZZ Top as they sounded in the early 70's. Not an all tunes, but three tunes in particular would not have been out of place on an album by Texas' finest; namely "Damage Control", "One Step Closer" and the aforementioned "Bitching Blues". The opening hard rock tunes do set this release apart from others in the blues rock field to some extent, but more importantly the guitar sound of Robin George; highly distorted and fuzzy, still slick, distinct and very melodic, creates a trademark sound for this band. Slade is an experienced drummer, and utilizes his skill and experience cleverly here to create driving and interesting rhythms as the backbone for these tunes, and Pete Way does a swell job here too. The songs as such are a tad varied in quality as I hear them though. Especially the more heavily blues influenced tracks to become a tad anonymous. It takes great skill to make something sounding interesting in a style that has been explored for so many years by so vast amounts of artists, and although never bad these many tunes doesn't shine very brightly either, with "Seven Golden Daffodils" and "Bitching Blues" notable exceptions. "Alice" is my top pick from this release though, a slick tune with nice grooves and a very catchy chorus. Opening tune "Raw" and "Savage Song" are other strong tunes worth checking out. Fans of blues based hard rock and blues rock will probably love this release, and I feel quite safe in recommending this release to fans of these types of music. Rating: 7,5 (out of 10) Reviewer: Olav Björnsen copyright www.prog4you.com

DAMAGE CONTROL 'Raw' Angel Air (2009) www.angelair.co.uk This is a total reworking of an album released back in 2007 which featured Spike of the Quireboys on vocals. For this album the musicians remain with Robin George and UFO/Waysted's Pete Way handling the vocals and Chris Slade (Uriah Heep/Asia/AC/DC) on drums. The classic power trio format. The production is as the album title suggests raw and live sounding. Interesting idea to record the same album in two different styles and having enjoyed both, this one just pips it for me as Spike's vocals didn't always seem to fit well with the music. Highlights? The awesome slide blues playing on 'Bitchin' Blues' and for more hard rocking blues try the title track. 'Seven Golden Daffodils' is the single on the album lending itself to airplay. 'Spy' from Robin George's excellent solo album 'Heartline' gets a radical makeover as well, dropping the acoustic feel for a rawer sound. Not a song I took to staright away as I enjoyed the original so much but given a few plays it clicks with the listener. This has been available through Robin George's website but full marks to Angel Air for giving it a full release. High quality blues rock and no mistake. With any luck this will lead to some live shows and a second album.   **** Jason Ritchie       News & Reviews Editor Get Ready To Rock!

Reviewed for RockFann by Vivienne Lennard

If you can only buy 1 record this year then let this be the one because it’s got it all.

Raw is an album bursting with Savage Songs protesting against injustice and corruption, attacking mediocrity and complacency with the sheer driving force of the music and the razor sharp wit of the lyrics.  These are songs ripped straight from the hearts of guys who seem to have been to hell and back, all fused together by the power trio’s incandescent rocking and raging.

Nothing and no-one who deserves it escapes criticism here; the individual (Raw and Selfish), society (Alice) or governments (Spy). There ain’t no love songs here except Victim, Pete Way’s Ode to the drug which becomes a heartfelt lament for victims of drug abuse with the heart rending words Robin George sings ‘straight from the heart’, originally inspired by Phil Lynott, with whom he was writing for the re-formed Thin Lizzy,just before Phil’s untimely death . The track Damage Control seems to be Way’s cry for help, rasped out with raw emotion by a damaged man and answered by George’s controlled, melodic sensibilities.

 Not that these songs lack a sense of humour; check out bluesy numbers like Slaughtered and Bitchin’ Blues while One Step Closer is a fabulous cry for freedom and then there’s  Seven Golden Daffodils, a captivating song you’d never expect to hear on an album this dark .

Throughout, the outrageously catchy riffs are powered along by the rock-solid yet melodic drumming of Chris Slade, Way’s throbbing bass and George’s  dramatic ,innovative guitar playing. The combination of George’s Lennon/Bolan-esque, bluesy vocals and Way’s emotion fuelled rocking are a powerful cocktail sure to send your head reeling. Turn it up real loud and roar!

Raw review courtesy of 'Dmitry M. Epstein'   http://dmme.net
The unholy trinity of hard rock geezers try to reign in their inner animal and gloriously fail.
To call it a power trio would be an underestimation of these veterans' synergy. In their free time the UFO's bassist Pete, drummer Chris Slade mostly recognisable from his AC/DC stint and Robin George who played guitar for Phil Lynott and David Byron pooled their talents to have fun and get away with it. The abusive self-criticism peaking in the "Damage Control" boogie groove, there's no mercy in their deliciously rough music where the subtlety is well hidden behind the stringers' voices and the dark humor, with the "There ain't no Alice here, this ain't no wonderland" line to sum it all up. Well, some more adventurousness spiced up with the "Nightingales And Bombers" kind of drumming would be welcome, but the acoustic texture of grungey "Savage Song" brings about enough buzz, and "Selfish" is one of the most tremulous ballads out there with an exquisite, almost flamenco lace woven into its blues fabric. More so, "Slaughtered" is shaped as a fine slab of country blues, while "Spy" comes as an excercise of cramming as much initialisms in a song as possible - talk about all things lyrical and dirty, then.

Somewhat purer takes on some of these tracks have found their way onto the "Radio 1" EP - now added to "Raw" - with the almost chamber "Spy" sitting snugly alongside "Damage Control", funked-up and shot through with an acoustic thread, and some new songs which are too good to have been omitted yet not so bright to go to the second album that may see the threesome managing their anger ever effectively.

****4/5

Jake Webb        

ViX LovePower and Peace review courtesy of Tristram Valentine - RockFann Magazine

 ‘LovePower and Peace’ by Vix (x Fuzzbox).
Is this the rebirth of Vix under the wing of veteran rocker/producer Robin George?
Under Robin’s guidance the full vocal scope of Vix has been exposed at long last, with rock guitar and up-tempo riffs this album delivers from the title track, ‘LovePower and Peace’ all the way through to the final track, ‘World’
A great collaboration between two  cool artists.  Keep it coming, guys! Pop Rock at its best.
Review by Tristram Valentine, Sub-Editor for Rock Fann

Is this a master class in Rock n’ Roll? In poker 3 Aces are a winning hand but in the world of Rock 3 Aces are Damage Control.

3 Grand Masters plying their trade as only they know how. For people who enjoy their Rock  in all styles, this is a must have album!

Review by Tristram Valentine Sub-Editor for RockFann.

what the rest are saying..........................

Robin George is that rare thing amongst rock musicians – jack of all trades and remarkably adept at all of them.... His latest album, ‘Crying Diamonds’, is a finely crafted collection of modern hard rock songs that perfectly highlights Robin’s ability as a songsmith. The title track itself is of particular interest, having been written with Thin Lizzy’s frontman Phillip Lynott just prior to his untimely death  Geoff Gillespie - Majestic Rock Records

Stories about Pete are legion and legend. This is a man who once toured Europe with Waysted sans a passport - in the days before the borders were opened up. All he had was a Waysted album sleeve and a tour itinerary. Did he get away with it? This is Pete Way...of course he did. And that's just the tip of the mythic iceberg. The difference between these tall tales and those told about other rock icons is that, in Pete's case, they're all true. Yet, there's more to Pete Way than a chortle, chuckle and a chianti or three (well, any booze will do). He's also found time to record some of the most essential music in rock history, with UFO and Waysted.  Malcolm Dome - radio broadcaster, author and journalist

One of the greatest drummers in rock history Greg Douglas - guitarist and vocalist with The Steve Miller Band

Bluesongs - superb compositions, beautifully arranged and very well produced. It’s good music for Christ’s sakes. One of the best things that I have heard so far this year, it will probably take something really earth stopping to top this off my list. One of the finest AOR releases by a true veteran. Bluesongs Review - Metal Invader

Pete is without doubt one of the most influential musicians to come out of the British rock scene in the 1970s and his distinctive style of bass-playing has inspired many rockstars. Bands including Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot and Def Leppard cite him as an influence. Steve Harris of Iron Maiden practically worships him!  Garry Bushell - journalist, author and television presenter

Slade was the best musician in AC/DC Angus Young of AC/DC no less

George’s writing and vocal styles are easily recognised, and the album includes ‘Crying Diamonds’, a song George wrote late on with Phil Lynott. The lyrics – “Secret handshake, old school tie brigade/Behind the scenery, I’ve read the book/I saw the film, but now I see reality” – may even reflect the way the industry slammed the door so prematurely shut on Lynott’s career. Fascinating stuff. Dave Ling's review of Crying Diamonds - Classic Rock Magazine

Robin has a refined and witty sensibility, similar to that of John Wetton. This album, however, is very different to his usual output. Blues, country and boogie rock n' roll are all in complete harmony, and he skillfully takes in a duet with a female vocalist on "World". The record has a number of light pop tunes, and what really impresses me about this album is the warm and friendly nature of the recording. Yasuhito Kitai - Burrn Magazine

An Earth Band without Chris Slade would be like a bird without wings Barry Winton - journalist for Record Collector magazine

'Bluesongs' is business as usual for the man who almost single handedly ushered in the age of techno AOR with 1985's seminal 'Dangerous Music'. It's a wickedly fine set of mature pop-rock songs, well crafted, superbly played and extremely well produced. In 2004, melodic rock doesn't get a whole lot better than this! Times may change, but Robin George is still a force to be reckoned with…and 'Bluesongs' is the proof of that!

Keep that man away from my husband! He's a bad influence on Ozzy!

First of all I got to say this features some great production work. Crystal clear, nice bass and every track rings true Brit quality.
Get this cd and play it loud this summer. Kerrang

The veteran rockers have pulled together an incredibly bluesy rock workout that doesn’t stop growing on you until the lyric booklet has become one with your skin. Rock Something

Robin George ditches his more polished guitar sound of his solo work for some mean, dirty riffing and a great piece of guitar on ‘Bitching Blues’. Chris Slade’s drumming is worthy of a special mention as well as he really power along the songs and seems to get more free reign for powerhouse drumming then in his Asia days. Jason Richie

Damage Control is the brainchild of a couple of stalwarts of the British rock music scene – Pete Way and Robin George, who have both been banging out top quality albums since way back when. For this latest excursion, they have added ex- AC/DC drummer Chris Slade. 

The songs are an eclectic mix of rockers, bluesy numbers and high-quality slower tracks. The quality of song writing and lyrics is absolutely superb throughout. 

“Raw” and “One Step Closer” show the quality and variety in Robin George’s song writing in particular, the first an up-tempo rocker and the second a laid-back bluesy number. Both excellent, but completely different in style. 

“Redundant” is the track that is still going round in my head after two plays and may well be my favourite of the whole album. It’s just beautifully written, catchy as hell

Damage Control is British rock at its finest. Intelligent lyrics, superbly crafted songs, great performances by every musician…
Paul Williams

'Bluesongs' is business as usual for the man who almost single handedly ushered in the age of techno AOR with 1985's seminal 'Dangerous Music'. It's a wickedly fine set of mature pop-rock songs, well crafted, superbly played and extremely well produced. In 2004, melodic rock doesn't get a whole lot better than this! Times may change, but Robin George is still a force to be reckoned with…and 'Bluesongs' is the proof of that!

Keep that man away from my husband! He's a bad influence on Ozzy!

First of all I got to say this features some great production work. Crystal clear, nice bass and every track rings true Brit quality.
Get this cd and play it loud this summer. Kerrang

The veteran rockers have pulled together an incredibly bluesy rock workout that doesn’t stop growing on you until the lyric booklet has become one with your skin. Rock Something

Robin George ditches his more polished guitar sound of his solo work for some mean, dirty riffing and a great piece of guitar on ‘Bitching Blues’. Chris Slade’s drumming is worthy of a special mention as well as he really power along the songs and seems to get more free reign for powerhouse drumming then in his Asia days. Jason Richie

Damage Control is the brainchild of a couple of stalwarts of the British rock music scene – Pete Way and Robin George, who have both been banging out top quality albums since way back when. For this latest excursion, they have added ex- AC/DC drummer Chris Slade. 

The songs are an eclectic mix of rockers, bluesy numbers and high-quality slower tracks. The quality of song writing and lyrics is absolutely superb throughout. 

“Raw” and “One Step Closer” show the quality and variety in Robin George’s song writing in particular, the first an up-tempo rocker and the second a laid-back bluesy number. Both excellent, but completely different in style. 

“Redundant” is the track that is still going round in my head after two plays and may well be my favourite of the whole album. It’s just beautifully written, catchy as hell

Damage Control is British rock at its finest. Intelligent lyrics, superbly crafted songs, great performances by every musician…
Paul Williams