Highs in the Mid-Sixties series
Encyclopedia
The Highs in the Mid-Sixties series is a group of 23 compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s of garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
and psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
recordings that were issued by AIP Records
AIP Records
AIP Records is a record label that was started by Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records, being launched in 1983 to continue the Pebbles series. The abbreviation AIP stands for "Archive International Productions". The first 10 volumes in the Pebbles series had been released by BFD Records of Kookaburra,...
in the mid-1980s. This series is a companion to the Pebbles series
Pebbles series
Pebbles is an extensive series of compilation albums in both LP and CD formats that have been issued on several record labels, though mostly by AIP...
of similar music; the title is technically preceded by "Pebbles Presents:". The title sounds like it might have come from a weather report
Weather report
Weather report may refer to:*Weather forecasting, the application of science and technology to predict the weather*Weather Report, a jazz fusion musical group...
, although "Highs" intends to mean "the best" (and is also an apparent drug reference), while the recordings on these albums were originally released in the mid-1960s.
Nature of the Music
The individual albums in the Pebbles seriesPebbles series
Pebbles is an extensive series of compilation albums in both LP and CD formats that have been issued on several record labels, though mostly by AIP...
include records from throughout the nation, along with a few from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and other countries. Additionally, the Pebbles, Volume 6
Pebbles, Volume 6 (LP)
Pebbles, Volume 6 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series. Subtitled The Roots of Mod, Volume 6 is the only album in the Pebbles series that features primarily British music...
LP features British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
bands, while the recordings on The Continent Lashes Back
The Continent Lashes Back series
The Continent Lashes Back series is actually a sub-series of compilation albums of garage rock and psychedelic rock within the Pebbles series that covers 10 of the 28 volumes of LP's. Unlike the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series — which has its own volume numbers — the 10 volumes in this series are...
sub-series within the Pebbles series are taken from continental Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. By contrast, the recordings on the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series are strictly by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artists, and the individual albums showcase garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
recordings by bands from particular cities, states and regions. As a result, many of the albums evidence a particular regional "sound" in the musical scene in that part of the country.
The first three albums concentrate on recordings that were released in the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area; this is appropriate, since AIP Records
AIP Records
AIP Records is a record label that was started by Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records, being launched in 1983 to continue the Pebbles series. The abbreviation AIP stands for "Archive International Productions". The first 10 volumes in the Pebbles series had been released by BFD Records of Kookaburra,...
is headquartered in southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. However, the specific years are not actually correct, since the original years of release are not limited to the year shown on any of these three albums. Further information on the nature of the music is given in the article on the Pebbles series
Pebbles series
Pebbles is an extensive series of compilation albums in both LP and CD formats that have been issued on several record labels, though mostly by AIP...
.
Regions Represented
The areas that are documented in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series cover a large portion of the nation, particularly between the Pacific CoastPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. However, the series is hardly comprehensive; among the notable omissions are New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, along with the rest of the Northeast
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
, plus San Francisco (although the last album among the CDs in the Pebbles series
Pebbles series
Pebbles is an extensive series of compilation albums in both LP and CD formats that have been issued on several record labels, though mostly by AIP...
, Pebbles, Volume 11
Pebbles, Volume 11 (CD)
Pebbles, Volume 11 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series and is subtitled Northern California. According to the AIP Records website, this will be the last of the many Pebbles albums.-Release data:...
covers northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
). Areas that are particularly rich in excellent garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
recordings are represented by several LPs; for example, five of the albums are devoted to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, which is probably the most widely anthologized state on compilation albums of this type of music. However, the only areas that are not represented on at least two of the albums are Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 4
Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 4
Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 4 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Chicago, Illinois...
(Chicago) and Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 18
Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 18
Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 18 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Colorado...
(Colorado).
Release data
Unlike the Pebbles seriesPebbles series
Pebbles is an extensive series of compilation albums in both LP and CD formats that have been issued on several record labels, though mostly by AIP...
– which has been released over an extended period of time by several record labels and in a variety of formats – the 23 albums in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series were released only as LPs and in a short time span of 1983 to 1986 (in fact, the 23rd album is the only 1986 release). This is one of the fastest series of releases among garage rock compilation albums. By way of example, the 28 LPs in the Pebbles series
Pebbles series
Pebbles is an extensive series of compilation albums in both LP and CD formats that have been issued on several record labels, though mostly by AIP...
were released between 1978 and 1988, and the 20 LPs in the Rubble series
Rubble series
Rubble is a 20-volume collection of compilation albums of mostly late-1960s British psychedelic rock compiled by Bam-Caruso Records, St Albans, Herts, England by Phil Lloyd-Smee....
were released between 1984 and 2002. Even the first 23 albums in the original Now That's What I Call Music series (i.e., the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
albums) – the most massive group of compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s ever created – were released between 1983 and 1992.
Discography
- Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 1Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 1Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 1 is a compilation album of American garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings from the mid to late 1960s...
: L.A. '65 / Teenage Rebellion; #AIP 10003 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 2Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 2Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 2 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Los Angeles, California....
: L.A. '66 / Riot on Sunset Strip; #AIP 10004 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 3Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 3Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 3 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Los Angeles....
: L.A. '67 / Mondo Hollywood; #AIP 10005 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 4Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 4Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 4 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Chicago, Illinois...
: Chicago; #AIP 10006 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 5Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 5Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 5 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Michigan...
: Michigan; #AIP 10007 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 6Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 6Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 6 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Michigan...
: Michigan, Part 2; #AIP 10011 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 7Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 7Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 7 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Washington and Oregon...
: The Northwest; #AIP 10012 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 8Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 8Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 8 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in the South excluding Texas...
: The South; #AIP 10014 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 9Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 9Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 9 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Ohio...
: Ohio; #AIP 10015 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 10Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 10Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 10 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Wisconsin...
: Wisconsin; #AIP 10017 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 11Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 11Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 11 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Texas...
: Texas, Part 1; #AIP 10019 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 12Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 12Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 12 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Texas...
: Texas, Part 2; #AIP 10021 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 13Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 13Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 13 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Texas...
: Texas, Part 3; #AIP 10022 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 14Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 14Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 14 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Washington and Oregon...
: The Northwest, Part 2; #AIP 10020 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 15Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 15Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 15 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Wisconsin...
: Wisconsin, Part 2; #AIP 10025 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 16Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 16Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 16 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Washington and Oregon...
: The Northwest, Part 3; #AIP 10024 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 17Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 17Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 17 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Texas...
: Texas, Part 4; #AIP 10026 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 18Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 18Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 18 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Colorado...
: Colorado; #AIP 10027 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 19Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 19Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 19 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Michigan...
: Michigan, Part 3; #AIP 10028 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 20Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 20Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 20 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series; it is subtitled L.A., Part 4 and features recordings that were released in Los Angeles...
: L.A., Part 4; #AIP 10029 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 21Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 21Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 21 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Ohio. Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 9 is an earlier volume in the series that features bands from this state.-Notes on the tracks:The "S...
: Ohio, Part 2; #AIP 10030 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 22Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 22Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 22 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in the South excluding Texas...
: The South, Part 2; #AIP 10031 - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 23Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 23Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 23 is the final compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Texas...
: Texas, Part 5; #AIP 10038