“There are particular voices that are historically and artistically important in popular music”

Philip Rose, a professor in McMaster’s communication studies and multimedia department, says that he didn’t think he’d find another band that merited the kind of close analysis he gave to Pink Floyd, the subject of his master’s thesis and subsequent book.

And then he thought about Radiohead – and his opinion changed.

Now, Rose has written two books on Radiohead, with the second, Radiohead: Music for a Global Future, launching this weekend at Dunas Verdes restaurant in Hamilton. Rose, a musician as well as a music critic, will be performing two sets of Radiohead repertoire.

While Rose’s first book was a more academic exploration of Radiohead’s landmark recording OK Computer, he says this book is aimed at a more general audience. It positions the band’s work within the larger historical context of the 1990s and 2000s, especially in terms of how, over 30 years, the band adapted to the music industry’s shift to the digital realm.

The band’s farsighted commentary on politics and global issues is also key to Rose’s work.

“Climate change has been part of Radiohead’s work since 2000, as has ‘creeping totalitarianism and concerns about the evolving political landscape,” Rose explains. “With the election of George W. Bush and the controversy around whether that election was stolen or not, they were already talking about the evolution of fascism – and when you’re reading that and thinking about the present, it gives a sense of the prescience of their work.”

Listen to Rose talk about his book on Global News Radio.

For Rose, focusing his work on Radiohead was a natural extension of his admiration for the band.

“The quality of the writing, my interest in extended forms and concept albums – those all jumped out at me,” he says. “I also liked the way they conducted their careers – I didn’t know what Radiohead looked like for the longest time, because they weren’t plastered all over their album covers.”