HMV,
various locations
HMV
are perhaps the best known of the high street retailers, and they do provide
a half decent product. The only problem is that quality of service and
type of specialist stock varies enormously from store to store, according
to the whim of the manager
or specialist buyer.
The flagship Oxford
Street store between Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road is a little
disappointing because although it's well stocked and has a great collection
of vinyl, there are no vinyl listening facilities. First time visitors
will be impressed, but Londoners will know that there are plenty of better
record shops.
HMV Bond Street, the newest central London branch (until they opened
a branch in Covent Garden, which we haven't visited yet) is better. It's
nicely laid out, has a bit of history about the store (including the time
it used to be a big recording label), and a recently expanded vinyl selection
downstairs. Although half the decks are often out of order, that still
leaves for or five to use. The specialist genre is UK garage, but house,
hip-hop and leftfield are equally well catered for. Staff are relatively
friendly and knowledgeable.
Another store is located in the Trocadero Centre near Piccadilly.
Here they have three decks and a reasonable selection of vinyl, and they've
even begun stocking 7"s again! This store is kinda mid-provincial
town size, like what you might expect if you lived in Peterborough.
A general note
that applies to all HMV's: generally, don't bother buying albums from
them, on any format. Mainstream chart CDs can almost always be found cheaper
elsewhere (especially the amazing and highly recommended CD-Wow!),
and Selectadisc will undercut their vinyl albums usually by about £2.
First for singles, yes, but the last place you should go for albums.
Who shops here?
Tourists, office workers just "ppping out to buy the Dido album"
When? Mon-Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 11am-5pm
Where? 150 Oxford Street W1, 363-367 Oxford Street W1, Trocadero
Centre, 7-14 Coventry St W1
Photos from top to bottom: exterior of the newish Bond St store; the decks downstairs at Bond St; the vinyl section at HMV Trocadero.
