MADRID
MADRID ROCK - Gran Via-25, Calle Mayor-38, San Martin-3, Madrid-80 (GETAFE), Avda. Dos de Mayo-6 - Phone: 521-0239 and 547-2423.
A good shop with various branches downtown. Lots of cds with low prices, displayed in a progressive-discount mode. With good cds for 10 US$, it's a good place to update your cd collection.
LA METRALLETA - Plaza de Las Descalzas (Galeria Comercial del Parking) - Phone: 232-5224
La Metralleta is an (literally) underground shop that is on the passway for a parking, downstairs at Plaza de las Descalzas. Actually, an interesting (and a little bit messy) place that will buy and sell CDs and LPs of any kind of music, so be prepared for anything.
FNAC - Puerta del Sol.
A Fnac is always a Fnac. I was specially pleased by their singles selection, which was really rich. Madrid really deserves some further exploitation, but I only spent a day there. If anyone has more tips, mail me ! Meanwhile, I'll compensate my failure with a more than complete guide to Barcelona
BARCELONAREVOLVER - Carrer
Tallers, 13 - Phone: 93-302-1685 -
Calle (or Carrer, as they say in catalan) Tallers is a small lane out from the Ramblas that is specialized in CD shops. Actually, it's the first narrow street on the right of the Ramblas if you're coming from Plaça Catalunya. There must be more than ten stores in less than three blocks. There are shops for every taste. Revolver is among the best. It's well divided into sessions (which makes it easier to find what you're looking for, unlike some other shops in the street), a huge variety and average prices, including a special section of underpriced second hand CDs (segonama, in catalan) on the furthest end of the store. It's worth to spend some time inside, browsing. A special note: the guys in the store are very atentious and know a lot about music, specially a guy named Fermin.
DISCOS CASTELLÓ - Carrer
Tallers, 9 (overstocks); C. Tallers, 3 (classic); C. Tallers, 7; C. Tallers, 79; C. Sant Pau, 2; C.
Nou de la Rambla, 1.- phone: 93-412.7285, 93-318.20.41, 93-302.59.46 and 93-412.7357
Of all their adresses in calle Tallers, the best is the one in number 9, which they call OVERSTOCKS. Here they gather all the offers from the chain, with thousands of titles with an amazing organization by type of music and the average price around 10-12 dollars. (and the best: nothing is second hand). But as you stroll down the street, it's worth taking a look at their other shops, including one for classic music fans on number 3 and the main one, on number 7, on which I found U2's Pop Mart bootleg cd of the show I've been in January in Sao Paulo for just 30 dollars (double cd !). They also have an adress on the web, which you can visit.
DISCOS SOUND TRACK -
Carrer Tallers, 45 - Phone: 93-302-7781
Sound Track has three world-records. It's the smallest shop in the street. It has the smallest (and most unexpected) stock - no more than 5 boxes with 20 CDs each. And they got the smallest prices in town. In 97, I bought 5 CDs there for excelent prices, 8 dollars each. And the prices become more overwhelmingly small if you consider that 3 of the CDs were rarities: the 6th, 8th and 11th strikes of Depeche Mode. When I came back in June 98, although, I found no rarities, but the stock was still reduced as well as the prices. If you find something you like here, buy it: it won't be cheaper anywhere else in town.
JESU'S DISCS - Carrer
Tallers, 27 - Phone: 93-412-5639
Another spot on the same street. Don't get alarmed by the name. No religious discs inside, only normal music (in fact, too normal for me: no singles, no bootlegs, no rarities...). They buy used Cds, for which they give you bonus for buying other cds there.
MANDALA - Carrer Tallers, 3 -
Phone: 93-412-5005
Mandala is weaker in variety if compared to their neighbours, but it has interesting prices. Very good if you're looking for compilations of commercial dance music. Unfortunately, they carry no singles.
DISCOS RECORD
SHOP - Carrer Tallers, 11 - Phone: 93-301-9838
Formerly called MUSICSHOP, this store sell used cds with prices of new ones. It's worth only because they carry a lot of rarities, remix and bootleg cds (a big Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys stock, among others).
DISCOS TESLA - Carrer Tallers, 67
- Phone: 93-301-9667
This is Calle Tallers' box of surprises and one of my favourite stores in town. It's located on a stall inside the entrance corridor of a residencial building and you'll find here real bargains hidden in no more than 10 disgustingly dirty counters. Don't leave Barcelona without browsing at least the CD singles counter. (And, please, wash your hands afterwards).
DISCOS IMPACTO/EDISON'S
- Carrer Tallers, 61 and 80 - Phone: 93-302-2635 ; Carrer San Pablo, 12 - Phone: 93-302-
5826; Riera Baixa, 9 and 10 - Phone: 93-329-2315 and 93-441-9674
This is another chain of good shops. The adress in Tallers 61 has expensive cds, but with the quantity of bootlegs they have, it's definitely worth taking a look. I found there around 12 different U2 Popmart bootlegs, from Barcelona to Mexico City, just to give you an idea. The adresses on Riera Baixa are more specialized in older and out-of-catalog stuff, specially the shop on number 9, dedicated to heavy, funk, italo and dance from the 80's.
WAH - Carrer Riera Baixa, 14
Just by the side of Edison's in Riera Baixa, this is a very interesting shop specialized in psychodelia and other seventies stuff.
WAVE - Carrer Riera Baixa, 13
Located on the same tiny street of Edison's two last adresses, this shop specializes in gothic, industrial and wave. If it's your beach, have a good swim !
LA CASA - Pl. Vicenç Martorell,
4 - Phone: 93-412-3305; Portaferrisa, 17 - Phone: 93-301-2856
This is a shop for DJs, specialized in dance, house, drum'n'bass and so on. It's located in Plaça Vicenç Martorell, a extremely charming little square, with some nice cafes around, just some blocks down from C.Tallers. If you go to LA CASA, don't forget to browse on the special offers counter to the right of the door or pick up the free magazines on dance music and flyers by the door. The other adress, is in the heart of the Barrio Gotico, inside a Diesel Jeans store. They have an adress in Madrid as well.
BELETA RECORDS - Carrer
Sitges, 10 - Phone: 93-301-2125
Not far from the corner of C. Sitges and C. Tallers is BELETA, a dark/new wave/gothic store with everything by bands with sugestive names like Cat Rapes Dog, Leather Strip, Placebo Effect, Amgod, Project Pitchfork and (last but not least) Apoptygma Berzerk.
VIRGIN MEGASTORE - Passeig
de Gracia
Ok, ok. There's a Virgin Megastore in town, with the usual Virgin Megastock and the Virgin Megaprices. Only buy here after you've been to C. Tallers and, as Bono would say, still haven't found what you're looking for.
EL CORTE INGLES - Plaça
Catalunya, Av. Diagonal and Porta del Angel.
El Corte Ingles is the biggest department store in town. Their main adress has a music department, but it's a mess. If you find something here, lucky you! Now, if you're really interested in buying cds in El Corte Ingles (what is really wise cause you can add the value to other things you buy in other departments and get the 15% tax free discount for tourists), head three blocks down to their brand new adress on Av. Porta del Angel, on the Barrio Gotico, which has a very complete and organized Cd store.
FNAC - Shopping Center La Illa -
Avinguda Diagonal
The french chain FNAC has opened a store in this beautiful Shopping Center. Beside the Cds (and a good selection of singles), you'll find books, videogames and eletronic devices here.
CRISOL - Consell de Cent, 341 -
Phone 93-215-3121 and Rambla de Catalunya, 81 - Phone 215-2720
Crisol is another combination of cds, books and magazines. Good for those interested in getting jazz or classic cds.
GONG DISCOS - Consell de Cent,
343 - Phone: 93-215-3431 and Shopping Center Les Glories - Phone 93-486-0030
An average cd store with some good offers, but definitely not worth going to, unless you are casually passing in front of it. It's an spanish chain, with shops in every main city, as Valencia, Malaga and Zaragoza.
CASA PEIX - Carrer Boqueria,
47 - Phone: 93-317.9397
Last and least, Casa Peix is an old store run by an old couple in the heart of the Gothic Quarter. Lots of spanish and international music from the 40's and 50's. Amazingly, among the zarzuelas and tangos, they had a bunch of bootleg cds of the U2 Popmart tour for 25 dollars each (again, double cds). I had to convince the owner to let me hear one of them, and it payed: the sound was awful. Beware: don't buy any bootlegs here (or anywhere else) without hearing first.
OTHER SHOPS I HAVEN'T BEEN
If this long list of places I've been isn't enough, here are some places I haven't found the time to visit in Barcelona. Good luck !
* LES MUSES DEL PALAU - Plaza Lluis Milet - Phone: 93-268-1000
* VIPS - Rambla de Cataluña, 7/9 - Phone: 93-317-4923
* DISCOMANIA - Entença, 117 - Phone: 93-490-2010
* DISCOS LA PERA - Cosell de Cent, 386 - Phone: 93-265-4747 and Valencia, 413 - Phone: 93-458-2647
* MUSIC WORLD - Second hand shop - Calle Roselló, 201 - Phone: 93-218-2284
* PTT Records - Trance and Techno - Floridablanca, 47 - Phone: 93-325-2031
* ETNOMUSIC - Only world music and new-age, very near to Calle Tallers. - Bonsucces, 6 - Phone: 93-301-1884 - email: etnomusic@hotmail.com
Well, that's it for CD stores, but there's a lot more to do in Barcelona. I hope you have a good
guide. Anyway, here are useful hints: there's a very complete comics shop called
Continuará Comics in Via Layetana, 29; there's a beautiful art-books shop called Tartessos in
C.Canuda, 35; there's a wonderful comic-related toy shop called Arkham Figures, that really
worths the visit at Carrer Ramelleres, 5; and a very weird bar based on old fairground objects
called La Fira, in C. Provenza, 171. And don't forget to climb the Tibidabo, to see the Magic
Fountain every summer weekend evening at the Plaza de Espanha and to go to the two best
spots for dancing the night away for free: Shopping Maremagnun and the Port Olimpic, each
one with lots of clubs to choose. Enjoy your trip !
