Other Albums to Adore

I can’t believe Robert Hilburn listed Alanis Morissette’s laughable pastiche “Thank U” as the second-greatest single or album track of 1998 (“A Year of Maturity and Daring,” Dec. 26). All the worse is the fact that nowhere in his list appears the truest, most heartfelt moment of the year, if not the decade (and I’m not exaggerating here).

Perhaps this album didn’t make its way to Hilburn’s desk, but “Let’s Go Out Tonight,” from Craig Armstrong’s “The Space Between Us” (vocal by Paul Buchanan), is a reworking of the great Blue Nile song of 1989. Listen to this song, sir, and then get back to me with your definitions of gentleness and humility.

THOMAS COONEY, Oakland

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I couldn’t agree more with Hilburn’s choices. Both Alanis and Pearl Jam fit the bill. However, the Smashing Pumpkins were left out of the discussion. Talk about heartfelt insights into the personal pain and reality of relationship issues, relationship challenges and relationship realities is to be talking about many of the selections on “Adore.”

SUSAN WALLACE, Corona del Mar