Jayhawks left out

Robert HILBURN obviously was playing it safe with his list (“Real Big Deals,” Dec. 21).

We had the edgy indie rock of the White Stripes. We had Neil Young’s “Greendale,” which is a great record, but again we know that’s playing it safe. Who’s going to bag him for putting a legend in there? And, of course, we have the newest bad boy of rap, 50 Cent. Oooh, dude -- you’re so hard-core. Street props to you, Mr. Hilburn! So then what you need is some sort of alt-country album on your list, right? Something for us thirtysomethings who finally got around to discovering Gram Parsons and got our musical minds blown. Preferably something from the label Lost Highway, right? It’s predictable, but I can live with it.

But where the heck was the Jayhawks’ “Rainy Day Music” on that list?! Unbelievably well-crafted pop songs backed with the perfect amount of Americana roots. “Rainy Day Music” is the best album of the year! And if it’s not that, then it is certainly a better candidate to fill that alt-country slot that you were so careful to include than Lucinda Williams’ latest.

James Beaton

Toluca Lake