Joe Bourdet With Illinois And A Cover with Meadow Rock Heart

Rediscovering Dan Fogelberg, One Pedal Steel at a Time

Joe Bourdet is staging a homecoming, rather than a revolution. Not to Illinois, exactly – he’s a California guy through and through – but to something more elusive: musical memory. And his weapon of choice? A fine cover of Dan Fogelberg‘s “Illinois,” rebuilt piece by piece in his own signature style: Meadow Rock. This endeavor highlights Joe Bourdet’s unique take on musical nostalgia and pays homage to his influences.

Some call it cosmic Americana, others say it’s the sound of late-afternoon sun on canyon walls. Joe calls it Meadow Rock. I just call it a good reason to skip the algorithm’s latest flavour and listen to someone who still gives a damn. This cover of “Illinois” is smoother than expected, faster than the original, yet soft-edged and thoughtful like a well-worn denim jacket.

Behind the Studio Door: A Mountain Sounds Affair

This entire project took form inside Mountain Sounds Recorders, Joe’s studio in Alhambra, California. He wasn’t alone in the room – thankfully. On drums, there’s Justin Smith, laying down grooves like a man possessed by rhythm and a decent amount of pain. Rumor has it he tracked this song with a cast on his kick drum foot. That’s commitment. Or madness. Sometimes both live in the same house.

Then comes Catfish Connor Gallaher, sliding his way across the mix on Emmons pedal steel. His licks slide in on instinct – they wander, croon, then nail you when you least expect it. Bourdet himself covers the rest: guitars, vocals, bass, piano, production, mixing, mastering. If the coffee was any good in that studio, it’s probably because he brewed that too, during the sessions for Joe Bourdet Illinois.

The Fogelberg Bandit Rides Again

Now here’s where it gets personal – because Joe‘s got stories. One about his mischievous friend who used to flood Amoeba Music in Hollywood with Dan Fogelberg records, stealthily placing them across the displays. The staff called him the Fogelberg Bandit. And you know what? The Bandit might have had a point.

Joe sees the value in dust-covered vinyl, which is evident in Joe Bourdet Illinois. He hears something sacred in the old grooves, especially in Fogelberg’s “Illinois,” originally produced by Joe Walsh and friends back in the singer-songwriter heyday. The lyrics hit him in unexpected places. “Open the curtains and let the rest wait” – he drinks coffee in bed to that line. So do I now, thanks to him. There’s poetry in comfort, in surrender, and maybe even in breakfast.

Reading the Lines

Illinois keeps it simple. Dust, delay, and that strange pressure in your chest when the past starts knocking. “I may miss the harvest, but I won’t miss the feast”- that’s a man choosing what matters when time runs thin.

South California sun “too cold” says more than a whole memoir. And that chorus – repeating like it’s got nowhere else to go – pulls you back to unfinished business, whether it’s a place, a person, or just the version of yourself that still had some answers.

A New Key, A New Pulse

Joe’s version speeds things up, changes the key, and adds a fat outro with a slide solo that hangs in the air long after the rest has packed up. The chorus harmonies hover just a breath apart from the melody. Not quite clashing, not quite kissing, but floating with tension. Like a good memory you can’t trust, but don’t want to forget, as showcased in Joe Bourdet Illinois.

The cover comes wrapped in hand-drawn artwork by Amy Blaschke, shaped like the arched windows of Joe’s rented Spanish house in what he lovingly calls South California. There’s something poetic about that, too.

Joe Bourdet Illinois – Final Sip

Some tracks are built to shout. Others, like this one, whisper in a voice that knows exactly what it wants to say. Joe Bourdet didn’t need to shout to make us hear him – he just opened the curtains. You might want to sit down with this one. Maybe even in bed, with coffee.

Listen, then tell someone you trust. The Fogelberg Bandit would expect nothing less. Check the man’s official website – dig through it, lift the rug, and see for yourself if I missed something worth your time.

Catch Joe Bourdet Live:

June 6 – Nevada City, CA – Chief Craazy Horse Saloon – 8PM
July 6 – Taos, NM – The Stakeout (Outdoor show, dinner reservations available)
July 19 – Los Angeles, CA – 1642 Bar, 1642 Temple St.

Craving more twang and trouble? Hit play below and let the COUNTRY gods do the rest: