A double CD/DVD and double‑vinyl live package recorded in Helsinki on 21 March 2026 captures Erja Lyytinen’s slide work, heavier rock leanings, guest appearances and a second concert from 2025.
Recorded at Helsinki’s House of Culture on 21 March 2026, the main concert runs about 90 minutes and appears as double CD/DVD and double‑vinyl.
The set leans heavier and more rock‑oriented than some previous material, with tracks like Smell the Roses, Going To Hell and a tougher live Hard As Stone.
Guest contributions include bassist Sami Yaffa on One Thing I Won’t Change and Swedish trio Baskery joining Lyytinen for Torn.
Lyytinen balances the heavier numbers with room for space and expression. Bird gives her vocals and guitar more breathing room, while Another World expands into an extended display of fretboard fluency. The closing sequence is slide‑guitar driven theatre, with Don't Let a Good Woman Down, Stoney Creek and The Ring providing an assertive finale.
One Thing I Won't Change (originally released in 2012) is reimagined live with legendary bassist Sami Yaffa adding bass and backing vocals. Swedish trio Baskery join Lyytinen for a grittier take on Torn, adding a distinct texture to the performance mix.
Bonus concert: Smell the Roses Live 2025
The release includes a second concert recorded on the previous year's tour in Mikkeli. That set supplies highlights not present on the Helsinki show: the heavier Dragonfly, the darker Abyss, the atmospheric Empty Hours, southern‑rock‑tinged Wings To Fly, plus a sprawling, roughly 13‑minute Wedding Day that stretches into extended live improvisation.
Reviewer Colin Campbell presents the package as more than a birthday souvenir. He describes the release as documenting an artist who continues to push her blues‑rock boundaries, combining muscle, melody and virtuosic slide playing while keeping the songs' emotional core intact. The overall impression is loud, expansive and exhilarating.
Concrete album highlights to check first
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