Roland, I can't dispute a single thing you've said. In every party that I've seen that has a bard, the bard has been the difference between success and failure a tremendous number of times. It takes a certain personality to play a bard and live vicariously through the glory of others, but bards are priceless.
It's too bad I can got Horseman of Vangal though. Course it's more for rural/wilderness adventures anyway.
