When I first heard the version of Comes A Time on Steppin’ Out it blew my mind.

It was subsequently released in the complete Europe 72 set too. (Ed. note: For those who want to procure a copy, the back half of the Europe 72 tour isn’t available digitally yet. I will update the links here when it is though.) The whole 5/25/72 show is phenomenal, but if you the Europe 72 shows are too rich for your blood the Steppin’ Out compilation is worth every cent.

Comes A Time was performed 4 times on the Europe 72 tour and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say this is the best version from their Euro junket. The song was only played 66 times total by the band, including several multi-year gaps between performances, e.g. 72-76, and 80-85. The rarity of the song makes the killer versions that much sweeter thought and in my opinion they don’t get much sweeter than this.

This starts slowly with just Jerry singing and playing. The rest of the band kicks in slowly and softly, the playing delicate and deliberate. Jerry doesn’t just sing the lyrics he emotes them in an almost visceral fashion. Some light organ sustain adds a sense of melancholy too. Bobby’s playing is crystal clear while Jerry adds just a touch of distortion for his solo. I don’t know if that’s a pedal or just from cranking his amp, but it enhances the emotional texture of the song. This is especially noticeable with the abrupt return to the docility of the next verse (Bobby plays some really cool licks in this verse too, so listen carefully for those). Around the 5:20 mark the sound gets heavier and more loping. Jerry’s guitar screams and wails in concert with Pigpen’s organ and Bobby’s arpeggios. Once the mountain is scaled, it’s a quick return to the bottom. And it’s on to the next number.

Complete Setlist 5/25/72