Album #7
by American Zen

Update: May 5, 2007
by Richard Connor
Record Producer - Owner of Shaolin Records

American Zen began their Buddhist journey on LEVEL 1 where they fought and worked for "Peace Of Mind." Contentment is a luxury for most people. The battles around us and the battles within us make it difficult to smile or be happy whenever we want to -- that should be ALL DAY LONG - BE HAPPY = Peace Of Mind. Coyote sought his "peace of mind" in a difficult environment, stranded, without family, alone without friends (they didn't want people to know we were friends -- wow - I was like a leper in Christian paradise!) - which all served to temper Coyote's spiritual resolve. He may not have found much 'peace of mind' but at least he was looking for it.

Coyote spent the next year in Utah also. The Mormons, the Church of the Latter Day Saints, were not supportive of a long-haired California Buddhist Flute Player Photographer Poet. Nasty letters, petitions, and knives in his front door made it abundantly clear that the Mormons wanted Coyote back in California as much as Coyote wanted to be back in California.

This spiritual financial territorial war spawned Coyote's second album, LEVEL 2 = Christ Killer.

However, listen to the music. Listen to the lyrics. Listen to the Christ Killer album from beginning to end. If you take a break start back at the song you left off... This album is a story. The songs were written in the order they are on the album. The poetry connects many of the songs together like the poem, "I Can't Live If I Can't Die," into the album title song, "Christ Killer."

Coyote recorded this album in Utah on his 4-track Tascam cassette tape recorder. It came out excellent. Our first album, LEVEL 1 = Peace Of Mind, was recorded on this same machine. However, Coyote feared for his life if he tried to release this album while he still lived in Utah. Even his Salt Lake City bandmates were told to quit his "shameful rock band" by their Mormon Bishops.

"I was famous, when I couldn't afford to be," gasps Coyote. "I was living in this apartment complex of drunk indians, and central american catfights drug deals DEA busts and illegal immigrants being chased by the INS out of their wall-to-wall mattress homes of at least 3 people per bedroom."

Yeah. Sorry Coyote. His dad was too poor to help him escape Christian captivity, and his Mom was tired of him begging for money, so she "disowned" him and took his name out of her will. Coyote went from nightclub star, photographer for newspapers and working the occassional movie or commercial as a Gaffer or Cinematographer - (He was the Gaffer for some of the MTV shows recorded in Los Angeles back then.) - he had girls he was a hippy with money.

Allthough I founded Shaolin Records in 1984, I couldn't sell enough Kung Fu cassettes to rescue our spiritual hero until a few years ago. We got him back to Los Angeles, set him up in a house with an iMac Blueberry...and now we've finished LEVEL 2 = Christ Killer.

So, they are only on LEVEL 2 right now, already recording songs for their next album, LEVEL 3 = I Want You To Love Me.

COMPLETED LEVELS :

LEVEL 1 = Peace Of Mind

LEVEL 2 = Christ Killer