Okay, I'll just come right out and say it. I'm not the world's biggest bluegrass fan. I'm generally fine with a small number of songs at a time; I do enjoy some strong, high-voiced, twangy harmonies; and heck, I even play the mandolin. But I've found that almost every time I try to listen to more than a few bluegrass songs at a time, they all start blending together. However, I absolutely can't deny that there is some excellent musicianship across the board (do you have any idea how hard it is to play a banjo?), and there are plenty of individual songs that I find quite enjoyable. Their take on The Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville" is one of those songs.
Back in 1966, the original version of "Last Train to Clarksville" gave The Monkees a #1 pop hit their first time up the Billboard Hot 100. It was a fairly breezy little song that was simple enough to stick in your head, but still solid enough to be well-remembered 44 years later. In The Grascals' hands, it becomes very obvious that "Clarksville" is a prime choice for a bluegrass makeover. A line such as "Take the last train to Clarksville / And I'll meet you at the station / You can be there by 4:30 / 'Cause I made your reservation" (supposedly about a Vietnam War draftee in the original) fits in most comfortably among the often dreary, unadorned lyrics that dominate this genre. The melody also works flawlessly when interpreted in airtight, resonant three-part harmony and backed by fiddle, mandolin, banjo and upright bass.
This is an interesting song in that it's an inspired choice for a bluegrass act, yet it needed very little change to work so well within that genre. It's a testament to the talent of The Grascals, as well as the timelessness of certain "golden oldies." I may not have that much bluegrass on my playlist, but I still know a great bluegrass song when I hear it. And even if it wasn't originally, "Last Train to Clarksville" is a great bluegrass song.
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