Turn off the music and talk to your kid? Sometimes it's better to just "Let It Be"

So, the other day I decided to take my teenage son, Mr. Smarty Pants, with me on a work assignment. During the 30 minute drive, I put my iPod on a 60s/70s music mix I'd created a long time ago.
Now, I realize this doesn't look good. A good father is a good communicator, after all. And with 30 uninterrupted minutes to spend together, I probably should have used the time to have a nice heart-to-heart chat with my boy.
In theory, that's what I should have done.
In practice, I think the music was every bit as rewarding.
See, young Mr. Smarty Pants is the youngest in our family and as such, he's been influenced from many different directions.