Bienvenue, Andrew.
quote:
I'll be in Montreal next week and recall hearing that CDs are very cheap over there.
Can't say that I've ever had that sentiment myself. But then, I get paid in Canadian dollars. Maybe pounds sterling is a bit closer to a real currency?
Anyway, here's a link that should be useful:
Montreal CD: a page listing CD shops in the downtown area, complete with a map of the Metro (i.e., tube for Brits, subway for Americans). For reference, the Delta is between the McGill and Place des Arts Metro stops.
http://home.ican.net/~chipple/mtlcd/indexe.html
The above page is not quite correct in its claim to list all CD stores in Montreal - they've don't have the flagship stores of the three major retailers: Sam the Record Man, HMV, and Archambault (not that they really need the exposure). These are all on rue Ste-Catherine,which is about two blocks south of the Delta. HMV is furthest west, around Peel. Heading east, Sam's is next around de Bleury and Archambault is at Berri de Montigny. Walking from one end to the other should take about 20-30 min.
There's some other stuff here: http://www.pagemontreal.com/edisques.html
[quote]Any local music that I must buy?[/quote}
Well, who else? Celine Dion! And then you can march right over to the Guilty Pleasures thread and confess how "My Heart Will Go On" moved you to tears.
Seriously, a couple of Quebec popular artists of merit that come immediately to mind are Michel Rivard and Laurence Jalbert. Archambault is a Quebec-based store, and would probably give the best advice if you're interested in finding out about the local talent. I don't recall if your tastes run to classical music, but a good Quebec label called Analekta has made some nice recordings. An early music group called Les Violons de Roy and a soprano named Karina Gauvin have made some excellent recordings for this label.
Two final bits of trivia, for no particular reason. 1) In case you get a Naim craving, the local dealer is Codell Audio. Take the Metro to the Namur stop, and its a little North, next to a Mercedes dealer (appropriately enough!). The Delta is the location of the Montreal "Festival du Son et Image" the largest stereo and home theatre show in Canada, and I think the largest in North America that is open to the general public. Every March the first 8 floors are crammed with everything from the sublime to the ridiculous.
John Schmidt
"95% of everything is crud" - Theodore Sturgeon
