The Music and Art of Radiohead is a collection of academic essays on the band Radiohead edited by Joseph Tate.[1] It was published in May 2005 by Ashgate Publishing in their Popular and Folk Music Series (ISBN 0-7546-3979-7). It's one of "only a handful of academic studies" devoted to the band's work.[2]
The book contains discussion of Radiohead's music by both established and emerging academics in the context of contemporary cultural studies. It explores topics such as their position within a global market economy and their musical influences and "radical sonic explorations".[3]
Popular Music reviewed the work, commenting that although the book had weak notes it was still a "worthwhile venture".[4] The ARSC Journal also wrote a review, noting that Radiohead's members "are averse to any sort of intellectualizing of their music" and that "If, in the end, what Radiohead does is "pure escapism," as drummer Phil Selway deems, then this book deconstructs not only that aesthetic space he claims they create, but also the very means by which the fans who wish to escape are drawn in."[5]