No Rock And Roll Fun

IT'S OH SO QUIET: We're not sure its quite as scanadlous as some people seem to think, but because iTunes offers every track from the albums on its store, you're invited to pay 99 cents [or use your pepsi bottle lid] for some tracks which consist of silence. The track that kicked off the fuss was the second track from the Whitey Album, Sonic Youth's Ciccone Youth expermentalist side project, where you can pay your buck and enjoy a ninety second stretch of silence while you count your penny change. The question is, of course, should the 'silent' tracks have been left off the iTunes version of the album - or would that have lead to an equal series of squawks? It's only a couple of weeks since Radio Three played John Cage's all silent 4' 33" live, remember, so, um, quiet is the new loud.

And let's not forget that a total silence can be catnip to the hifiratti - a few years back the 'Alex' strip featured Alex and Clive listening to a CD in raptures; in the final panel it was revealed they were playing 4' 33" and their enjoyment was coming from the lack of hiss and crackle - something that we'd imagine the iPodettes would appreciate.