LEVEL 1 = Peace Of Mind

America's First Buddhist Rock Band,
American Zen

Spaghetti western music plus California folk rock.

Coyote's stuck in Utah. The bandmates make a couple pilgrimages to record this album in Coyote's apartment living room. We used the stairway hallway for some neat echo on Rory's guitar.

Blasting his neighbors with drums, bass, and electric slide guitar, the Zenboys cut a semi-live 4-track album with their unique background vocals being sung while recording their instruments. (On their next album they get to really expand and show their vocal colors!)

Coyote's Story of Life in Utah = LEVEL 1

Coyote writes ALL the songs for American Zen Lured by a blonde girl, Coyote discovers that Mormons don't like Buddhists. This wouldn't seem like a big deal, until you discover that Mormons own all the businesses, and then his talent agent said, "Come to Temple if you want some more jobs."

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	DOWNLOAD Songs & Poetry from AMERICAN ZEN Buy directly from Shaolin Records and SAVE MONEY! Only 88 cents per song and 44 cents per poem. Peace Of Mind #2 Music & Lyrics by The Coyote Folk rock song story of a San Diego beach trip by Coyote. Coyote's *'nickel passport'* is his flute. He's rigged up some way of strapping it to his Levi belt loops so it is like a gun holster. T Rex's Marc Bolin could have written this. This song was written after the LEVEL 1 album was completed, to replace the original version, "Peace Of Mind," which will be on the second album, LEVEL 2 = Christ Killer. (I like this song better.) FREE Song Sample Black Of Night Music & Lyrics by The Coyote Written in Coyote's snow covered van during a cold Utah winter. They burn coal in Salt Lake City so the air is even more polluted than Los Angeles. Then the government built a big oven upwind of the city to cook old leaky bombs they're storing underground in the desert... John Lennon would enjoy this song. (Check out that Vox organ. It had to go away when the guitar comes in because we only had 4 tracks to work with.) FREE Song Sample Whose Heaven Is This? Music & Lyrics by The Coyote "...Church of Saints or Church of Fools -- I wonder." Features Rory G. on ukulele like Don Ho on amphetamines. (I'm glad people enjoy this song, because I was REAL PISSED OFF when I wrote it.) FREE Song Sample In The Darkness Music & Lyrics by The Coyote Shaolin Music, our publishing company, signed this dark brooding British songwriter. He was evidently bumming Coyote out... The lyrics were left off and recited as poetry on this same album, Level 1. (That guy was really talented. He should've hung in there longer.) FREE Song Sample You've Been Sold Music & Lyrics by The Coyote Yeah, this is a protest song. Sounds like Bob Dylan harping society... Rory G's slide guitar carries this song into a cowboy rebellion. (I like that, *'cowboy rebellion.'* This song was heartfelt but it really is aimed at the Mormons, and my friends, and my family... and you.) FREE Song Sample Free The Change Music & Lyrics by The Coyote Folk Rock song? This sounds more like Metallica than Arlo Guthrie. (Sometimes it's hard not to just grind and pound as hard as you can -- it feels good. That was the success of Led Zeppelin - they really pounded! I saw their first American tour with Jethro Tull. Tull was awesome too. It was years later before I picked up a flute for the first time.) FREE Song Sample Trust Me Music & Lyrics by The Coyote A jingle composer, David Shields, challenged Coyote to write this song. Coyote waited until he was inspired by his newspaper delivery girl, Tina, before writing this song. "I had to feel it before I'd even try to write it," explains our Cary Grant acting singer-songwriter. (I know that movie, 'His Girl Friday,' or something like that. I'd like to argue with a girl like that girl in the movie. She was witty, sharp, fast, tough... hey, is that what I need in a woman? Hmm. Sharp - witty - fast and tough. Gotta get good manners in there somewhere though. The minute a girl barks at me, this dog is out the door.) FREE Song Sample Simple Lady Music & Lyrics by The Coyote Coyote, stranded in Utah, thinking of someone who... (This is a perfect example of why I can't tell anyone who this is about. It's romantic but perhaps embarrasing to the person I adore.) FREE Song Sample All Screwed Up Music & Lyrics by The Coyote A slice of the American lifestyle, that sounds like "American Woman" by BTO Bachman Turner Overdrive -- who are actually Canadian. (Robbie called me up the other day. "Hey, this song is about me isn't it? Well - yeah. "I thought so man. I'm famous! My cousin Randy was playing that song on his iPod and I said, 'I know that song.' I listened to the lyrics..." At least he was happy, not mad. Most people - well I freaked out this girl when she came to a gig and I sang a song I wrote to her - I should've warned her.) FREE Song Sample A Long Way Home Music & Lyrics by The Coyote Psychedelic rock song telling the story of a trip to a San Diego beach. Coyote's howl at the end depicts his heartfelt longing to be back in California, far from the Mormons. (Did you know that San Diego is the end of the Mormon Trail? They created a line of settlements from Salt Lake City to San Diego, the Mormon harbor.) FREE Song Sample Thank You Music & Lyrics by The Coyote A pounding folk rock song that sounds like early David Bowie. (I think I should've let Rory put a blasting grunge on it. I was hoping for a thunderous acoustic sound by recording the acoustic guitars in stereo. You tell me, "did it work?") FREE Song Sample Introduction Poetry Author & Narrator: The Coyote Coyote begins the oration at his oriental desk, in the Transwest Apartments, of Salt Lake City, Utah. This was recorded on a 4-track Tascam 424 recorder, using an AKG 414 cardiod microphone on a boom stand. Coyote sat at his desk and flipped the pages of his poetry book, reading the following poems in the order they are listed here. The spaces between poems have been edited so you don't hear the rustling paper noises...otherwise these poems were all recorded in one sitting, in one take--until he ran out of tape on "It's Tough." Coyote started that poem over on the next tape and continued to the end--"Saints." We forgot this last poem was on the tape until we downloaded the original master into our ProTools recording system. Probably a wise decision at the time. "Saints" fits well with the second upcoming album of American Zen, LEVEL 2 = Christ Killer. (Excuse me, Producer Sir. Am I going to record any poetry on the Christ Killer album? We're almost done with the overdubs and I haven't cut a single poem yet?) FREE Song Sample Get Out Of My Dream Poetry Author & Narrator: The Coyote Coyote said this girl had broken up with him, but kept visiting him until his new girlfriend chased her away. (Too bad. She and I couldn't get along but we sure did get along. She knew how to get what she wanted from me.) FREE Song Sample In The Darkness Poetry Author & Narrator: The Coyote Cold, yet accurate, compassionate, yet slightly harsh. (Here's the poem that was the lyrics to the song, "In The Darkness.") FREE Song Sample Last Year Poetry Author & Narrator: The Coyote More poems about kids? It's frightening to see weeks turn into months, but when months turn into years -- Yikes! Still, there are some life landmarks that seem to make the passage of time worthwhile. Available ONLY on the CD or the ALBUM DOWNLOAD When Children Are UnwantedPoet &Narrator: The Coyote Not a very comfortable poem. But it's got a great point. (I was impressed by the Mormon kids. They sat still and quiet better than any kids I grew up with. Most Mormon kids probably get better care than most kids, even in the polygamous families. But I didn't like seeing the mexican women sticking pacifiers in the baby's mouth just to shut them up, or ignoring the kids when they were crying, or sometimes I'd feel really bad just looking at a kid and seeing the sadness and loneliness in their eyes...) FREE Song Sample Nurturing Your Life Poetry Author & Narrator: The Coyote Coyote seems to be giving a lot of thoughts to kids. (You can't live in Utah without realizing they are a baby business. Their state logo is a beehive. They encourage lots of kids and they EXPECT every one of them to be a Mormon and give 15% of their income DIRECTLY TO THE CHURCH of Latter Day Saints.) FREE Song Sample The Power Poetry Author & Narrator: The Coyote Coyote gives us a new look at what real power is in life. (I got a culture shock when I moved to Newfoundland. My friends lived in homes with no plumbing ((well water with an electric pump was a really modern thing few could afford)) But they didn't lock their doors either. Newfoundland was a beautiful, rugged, cold experience that slapped me awake. Then Utah showed me how corporations, government and religions can control people like cattle. The Mormons are the biggest people-cow farm on the planet.) FREE Song Sample The Teacher Was He Poetry Author & Narrator: The Coyote A poem about a recording studio session in Venice, California. Coyote confronts one of his music heroes from Blue Cheer and Mint Tattoo. (I think I blew it. I should've given him more compliments. Most people don't know all the cool records Burns Kellogg played on.) FREE Song Sample Spring Rain Poetry Author & Narrator: The Coyote A quaint look at a spring downpour. (Quaint? I'm not quaint. I would like to write poetry more often. I've probably not written my best poems that I wrote, but didn't write down... I've gotta get in the habit of carrying pen and paper more often. I'll remember, 'oh what was that cool riff I had at my head at the store. I've written a few songs driving in my car.) FREE Song Sample It's tough... Poetry Author & Narrator: The Coyote Before leaving for Utah in 1991, Shaolin Records was located in the North Hollywood condominium of Richard Del Connor. Each day up to 6 interns would show up to help with concert bookings, radio promotion, and producing the movie, COYOTE IN A GRAVEYARD. (When people coooperate--life is nice.) FREE Song Sample My Woman Is My Wife Poetry Author & Narrator: The Coyote Coyote claims that marriage is a chance to have sex every day. (That's not what that means. It means that marriages should remove all the taboos and boundaries until you're left with whatever you want.) FREE Song Sample

* Collector's note:
The first batch of CDs has an UNCENSORED photo of Coyote on the cover.

All later CD covers have the 'CENSORSHIP SUNGLASSES' across Coyote's eyes.

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LEVEL 1 CD Recorded 4-Track

Record producer, Richard O'Connor, was trained in a 16-track recording studio, in San Diego, California. Using a Stephens 2" tape deck, seemed like Heaven to the aspiring engineer.

After booking time in a 4-track studio to record a song for a San Diego, "Homegrown" album, the studio owner called young Rich back to work as his recording engineer. Eventually, Richard took over as Studio Manager and Staff Producer. This 4-track environment taught Richard that recording was a 3-step process:

Setup the instruments and recording equipment for maximum quality.
Get the BEST PERFORMANCE POSSIBLE from the musical talent.
Assemble the music to promote the song / the singer or lead instrument / the sound.

With American Zen, step #1 was easier and more difficult. Less equipment means less alignment, however, with less sound isolation, less special effects, and less money: we had a whole new set of difficulties which we overcame for this album.

Step #2 "Best Performance" required the American Zen dudes to do their best, play their best, and feel their best. On some songs like "Black Of Night," the band got into a real good angry mood and supported Coyote's original angst when he wrote the song.

The song, "Simple Lady," was Coyote's demo recording. He played both acoustic guitars, sang, and played both flutes. Although I could have recreated this recording and at a better fidelity, the song itself was so good, so natural, and so honest, that I decided to include it on the album.

Step #3 was especially difficult on this album. Deciding to finish this album in Utah, before Coyote's return to California, we mixed the entire album with only ONE SPECIAL EFFECT: a 1965 Fender Spring Reverb. That's it! No compressors, no limiters, no noise gates, or echoes, or chorus...

That make s this album very natural, very honest, and an expression of this period of American Zen's evolution.

Coyote LEVEL 1 Podcasting

Download the podcasts from www.CoyoteRadio.net as they become available.

Recorded at Shaolin Records Studio, these podcasts combine Coyote reading poetry and webpages with live performances by our Hippy Coyote on his Alvarez acoustic 12-string dreadnought guitar, singing his happy hippy heart out.

Hear songs and performances otherwise never to be released -- but still fun to listen to.

Hear stories we can't put in writing -- or we'll get in trouble. hee-hee

Experience American Zen with Coyote as your guide.

For a complete list of American Zen Buddhist Rock Podcasts
and other podcasts by The Hippy Coyote
visit: www.coyotePODCAST.com

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LEVEL 1 of Zen Buddhism by The Hippy Coyote of AMERICAN ZEN

American Zen
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LEVEL 1 = Peace Of Mind