Veteran Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover has released his fifth solo album, If Life Was Easy. Those expecting high-octane hard rock will be surprised, but not disappointed. The album has an earthy roots-pop vibe overall, but the range of sounds is broad and adventurous. “Don’t Look Now (Everything Has Changed)” has the pulse of reggae riddim. The Bo Diddley beat of “The Dream I Had” pairs Glover’s guttural bass groove and Oz Noy‘s swamp-rock slide guitar with the lacerating vocal of Nazareth‘s Dan McCafferty. The lovestruck ballad “Moonlight” features a tender lead vocal by Glover’s daughter Gillian and Randall Bramlett‘s Hammond organ. “The Car Won’t Start” takes a working man’s view of making the best of a bad situation. During the title cut, Glover muses about what would drive us if humanity finally attained a “perfect” world. “Welcome to the Moon” suggests that mankind’s loftiest ambitions have been sold out to corporate interests. The album’s toughest rocker is “Feel Like a King,” which has just a touch of “Highway Star” in the rhythm section, and a bass solo to boot. The song celebrates the joy of life on the road, serving as an ode to Glover’s life in music.
