America's Greatest Noise

by Frans de Waard

‘America’s Greatest Noise’ tells the story of Ron Lessard, owner of RRRecords, a record store in Lowell, Massachusetts and, from 1986 to 2009, a record label, releasing the albums of Blackhouse, F/i, PGR, the first Merzbow LP outside Japan and many more, regional compilations, three widely acclaimed lock groove records and a series of anti-records, records with no music but a more conceptual and visual edge. RRRecords is also responsible for the RRRecycled Music series, which has over 300 releases on re-purposed cassettes.

Ron Lessard played music with his group Due Process and solo as Emil Beaulieau. Up until his retirement from the noise scene in 2006, he played many concerts and released a string of cassettes, LPs, and CDs. During his concerts, Lessard dressed up like a businessman and used a four-armed turntable, dubbed the Minutoli, and his performances were comical.

In this book, he tells for the first time his story in music about the highs and lows of running a label and a record store, weird projects, unfinished projects, encounters with other musicians, being on the road, and much more. Also included are two appendices: one with interviews from the past (fanzines and websites) and a chapter from Michael Tau’s ‘Extreme Music’ about the anti-records released by RRRecords.

Images used were sourced from flyers, invitations and fanzines. Introduction by Dominick Fernow (Prurient, Hospital Productions)

Genres: Music

144 pages, Paperback

Published July 5, 2024

Reviews

[Cleo · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you know about it, you already love it.

[Mason Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's funny to read a book about someone who I know a bit, and interacted with a fair amount back in the 80s/90s when I was starting my label and releasing weird stuff. RRRecords was infamous in those days among experimental music heads, of course. So reading this is equal parts nostalgia, filling in blanks about RRRon's story, and plain old entertaining stories. I'm quite sure this will read differently for someone not as familiar with the milieu, and I have no idea what that might be like. But I certainly enjoyed it.

[Andrew Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can confirm the process laid out in the “If You Want It, Come and Get It” section.

Nice to read something in the same broad circle of a history of noise that forgoes noise as a genre with the aesthetics and approaches that genres always bring. The modern idea of “nineties noise” bears little resemblance to what was happening at the time and Ron brings that to life.

Recommended.

[Osku · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is basically Ron Lessard (Emil Beaulieau, RRRecords) telling stories about everything: starting a label, running a label and mailorder, releasing stuff, touring, anti-records, etc. A bit of repetition as there are several interviews in the end of the book and most things discussed there were more or less word for word elsewhere in the book already. Great stories, great sense of humor, a fast read.

[Karl J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you know Ron Lessard, RRRecords, Emil Beaulieau and all of that noise, you need to read this. Great fun. Thanks, Frans, thanks, Ron.