Official Neal Morse Appreciation Thread

[KevShmev]

Interesting summation.  Very detailed.

I am not sure if I agree about Ted Leonard or not.  He was awesome in that role when I saw them play the whole thing at Morsefest in 2018, but on the album there are definitely times where it feels like a different singer might have done that role better.  Not sure why that is. 

Regarding the ending, wait till you see the Morsefest performance (assuming you get it when it is released).  That ending was very powerful live, especially when it was over, as Neal introduced everyone from the band and orchestra and whatnot, and then had everyone on stage and the crowd bust into the "love has called my name" chorus.  That was one of those "holy crap, this is amazing!" live moments.

The album as a whole is one I really like, and while it has some really good songs, it doesn't have as many crazy high highs as his other double albums.  A lot of 8's, but not sure there are any 9's or 10's on there.

[425]

I'm down to do a ranking! However, I'm not going to include T2 or JCTE. Not because I object to either of these albums in any way, but because I haven't given them enough of a listen to have a clear sense of where to put them. I tend to go through phases with Neal's music where I listen to it a lot for a while, and then rest for a while. I got T2 just at the end of my last Neal phase, and JCTE came out shortly after.

• The Great Adventure - What a lot of people seem to have felt for Similitude, I felt for its successor.
• Testimony - This one took a long time for me. But it steadily climbed the ranks all the way here.
• The Grand Experiment - Sort of surprising myself with how high I'm putting this, but The Call and Alive Again are two of my favorite NM songs. Compact and, as bosk said, fun.
• Sola Scriptura - The first two epics are just so good.
• The Similitude of a Dream - The first disc takes a little while to get going, but still excellent.
• Momentum - A lot of really strong songs on here that don't get mentioned a lot. I love both ballads.
• ? - Could definitely grow on me, just not as many outstanding moments as these others.
• Lifeline - I like this one pretty well, actually. I agree it's not among his best, but I don't really have anything bad to say about it.
• One - As I said before, this one just doesn't connect as well with me. I like (though don't love) most of the songs, though I think The Creation is the weakest Neal epic, but the full album experience doesn't work great for me.
  

[bosk1]

I am not sure if I agree about Ted Leonard or not.  He was awesome in that role when I saw them play the whole thing at Morsefest in 2018, but on the album there are definitely times where it feels like a different singer might have done that role better.  Not sure why that is. 

Regarding the ending, wait till you see the Morsefest performance (assuming you get it when it is released).  That ending was very powerful live, especially when it was over, as Neal introduced everyone from the band and orchestra and whatnot, and then had everyone on stage and the crowd bust into the "love has called my name" chorus.  That was one of those "holy crap, this is amazing!" live moments.

Yes, I am REALLY looking forward to getting the live album and having that experience.  Good to hear that the live performance really elevated it--and elevated Ted.  Can't wait.

The album as a whole is one I really like, and while it has some really good songs, it doesn't have as many crazy high highs as his other double albums.  A lot of 8's, but not sure there are any 9's or 10's on there.

Yeah, I don't really disagree with that.  But the fact that it doesn't have as many highs and has some mediocres isn't really a problem for me.  I tend to treat really tight concept albums a bit differently in that regard and quite often find myself feeling that the album as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  As an example, other than Home, I don't particularly find SFAM to have many stellar highs, and yet it is my second favorite album from DT.  The Astonishing may be even closer.  There are VERY few songs on that that I would really listen to individually or even consider putting on a "hits" playlist.  But as a whole, I really love that album.  Same with this one, even if it may not have any 10s on it.

[Fritzinger]

As much as I love Neal, on Jesus Christ The Exorcist the whole gospel-ish God & Jesus thing is just a little too much for me.

But my biggest problem with this album is Eric Gillette. He is a fantastic guitarist and singer. And he certainly can drum, but he's not the kind of drummer that can keep the suspension up for a whole double album. It's impressive when he sits behind MP's kit for a couple of minutes, like during that one Morsefest (I can't remember which one though). But not for a 2 hour progressive rock opera.

I just don't get why Neal went with this decision. Especially when you have someone like Nick friggin D'Virgilio on the album.

[Dedalus]

I ranked all Neal albums last month, so:


1 - ?
2 - Testimony
3 - One
4 - Sola Scriptura
5 - Testimony 2
6 - The Similitude of a Dream
7 - Momentum
8 - Lifeline
9- The Grand Experiment
10 - The Great Adventure
11- Jesus The Exorcist

The Exorcist may be in an unfair position. Need to spin more times.

[ronnibran]

Here's my Neal rankings.  Note - I really like all of Neal's albums, except I almost never listen to "?" or TSOAD.  Not sure why....  I dont' think they're "bad" by any stretch.  Every other one on the list no matter how far down I really really love.
1.   Sola Scriptura - this album turned me from a big fan of Neal to Neal being my favorite music artist ever.  I've never gotten sick of it.
2.   Testimony - although I don't consider this to be a "perfect" album, and I rarely listen to it from start to finish, it was my first Neal album and still has some of my favorite Neal songs on it.
3.   One - this came out shortly after I discovered Neal and was the best album I had heard in a long time.  Very close to T1 in the ranking.
4.   The Great Adventure - I was very pleased with how much I liked this album, considering I was heavily favoring solo Neal to TNMB.  I like this so much more than it's predecessor.
5.   Lifeline - I really like this one (other than Leviathan).  So Many Roads is hands down my favorite Neal song ever, and the song Lifeline is pretty awesome too.  I'm kind of bummed this album isn't ranked higher but I guess it is what it is when there's so many albums I like so much.
6.   Testimony 2 - I used to have this as possibly my number one album but it hasn't aged as well as some of the others.  I love it though.  I don't listen to much of disc 2 all that often, usually only listen to disc 1.  Well, I listen to Supernatural a lot, but hardly ever the other 2 songs (to me, Seeds of Gold is overrated as a long epic, but that's just my own personal taste).
7.   Momentum - another one I'm bummed to see so far down on a list.  I don't listen to the "album" often, although World Without End I play quite regularly yet.
8.   Jesus Christ the Exorcist - I had the pleasure of hearing this the first time live at Morsefest.  I really like this album.  I thought for a while it was one of my favorite Neal albums, but I guess as the newness has worn off I find it low on the Neal albums scale.
9.   The Grand Experiment - I was kind of in a weird life patch when this came out and didn't really get into it that much at the time.  I never grew to like it as much as some others, but I do often listen to Alive Again.  The bonus disc is superb also.
10.   The Similitude of a Dream - Great album, but I can't put my finger on why I hardly ever go back to it.  At the time it was released I still heavily favored solo Neal to TNMB and I probably always judged it with that bias.
11.   ? - the first Neal related album I was "meh" about.  It has a couple great songs on it, but I don't ever listen to it all the way through anymore.

[KevShmev]

I am not sure if I agree about Ted Leonard or not.  He was awesome in that role when I saw them play the whole thing at Morsefest in 2018, but on the album there are definitely times where it feels like a different singer might have done that role better.  Not sure why that is. 

Regarding the ending, wait till you see the Morsefest performance (assuming you get it when it is released).  That ending was very powerful live, especially when it was over, as Neal introduced everyone from the band and orchestra and whatnot, and then had everyone on stage and the crowd bust into the "love has called my name" chorus.  That was one of those "holy crap, this is amazing!" live moments.

Yes, I am REALLY looking forward to getting the live album and having that experience.  Good to hear that the live performance really elevated it--and elevated Ted.  Can't wait.

The album as a whole is one I really like, and while it has some really good songs, it doesn't have as many crazy high highs as his other double albums.  A lot of 8's, but not sure there are any 9's or 10's on there.

Yeah, I don't really disagree with that.  But the fact that it doesn't have as many highs and has some mediocres isn't really a problem for me.  I tend to treat really tight concept albums a bit differently in that regard and quite often find myself feeling that the album as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  As an example, other than Home, I don't particularly find SFAM to have many stellar highs, and yet it is my second favorite album from DT.  The Astonishing may be even closer.  There are VERY few songs on that that I would really listen to individually or even consider putting on a "hits" playlist.  But as a whole, I really love that album.  Same with this one, even if it may not have any 10s on it.

Right, with long concept albums, not every song is gonna be a stand alone 9 or 10, with having transitional tracks that are needed and whatnot, but you need some standouts. The Exorcist does have a handful that I can easily listen to on their own (Jerusalem in particular is pretty damn good), but even my favorite songs from it would have a tough time getting a high placement on my list of favorite Neal songs.

[bosk1]

Yeah, Jerusalem is pretty good.  My fave is probably Woman of Seven Devils.  But even if I were to put those on a Neal "favorites" list, it still feels weird to me because there is no trace of Neal on any vocals on those songs.  Again, that isn't wrong per se, but it just feels strange.  It's different than, say, if we were talking about The Great Despair, where Eric has the lead.  The difference to me is that Eric is a full member, and Neal is still present in the backing vocals, and more clearly present instrumentally where you here a lot of his signature sound and style.  Those songs on JCTE feature, basically, guest vocalists, and the writing style of the whole thing makes it unclear what Neal is even playing at any given moment, which makes him feel pretty absent when you don't even hear him singing.  Going back to my first post on the subject, I guess that is again what makes this album so hard to place in his discography for me.  It feels more like an experimental side project with a bunch of musicians than a Neal Morse album, even though he is the creative force behind the whole thing and basically the sole writer.  Maybe it doesn't matter, but that's where my personal mental block comes in.

[KevShmev]

Yeah, Jerusalem is pretty good.  My fave is probably Woman of Seven Devils.  But even if I were to put those on a Neal "favorites" list, it still feels weird to me because there is no trace of Neal on any vocals on those songs.  Again, that isn't wrong per se, but it just feels strange.  It's different than, say, if we were talking about The Great Despair, where Eric has the lead.  The difference to me is that Eric is a full member, and Neal is still present in the backing vocals, and more clearly present instrumentally where you here a lot of his signature sound and style.  Those songs on JCTE feature, basically, guest vocalists, and the writing style of the whole thing makes it unclear what Neal is even playing at any given moment, which makes him feel pretty absent when you don't even hear him singing.  Going back to my first post on the subject, I guess that is again what makes this album so hard to place in his discography for me.  It feels more like an experimental side project with a bunch of musicians than a Neal Morse album, even though he is the creative force behind the whole thing and basically the sole writer.  Maybe it doesn't matter, but that's where my personal mental block comes in.

Makes sense. Neal singing a lot doesn’t make it feel like a Neal album like the others, but the lyrics sure help in that regard.

[Stadler]

I have to really think about my ranking, because I'm just not as familiar with One, ?, Lifeline and Sola as I am the others.  I do know this, though:   Similitude will be low (I LOVED the live show, but I put on the album a couple days ago and was like "eh", and I was in a HARD CORE Neal mood at the time), Momentum and The Grand Experiment will be pretty high.   I love uplifting music like that, and Momentum is just solid from top to bottom, and TGE might even be a step above that.

[Kyo]

Rather than go with the individual track separations from the CDs, I have just created mp3s that split Testimony into its five parts of epic length and T2 into its three, just as the albums are listed on the back of the CD. So the uninterrupted blocks of music are seen as one "song" each. It kinda makes sense because I don't remember skipping much around those albums anyway. I'm curious if and how this will change my perception of the music.

[KevShmev]

I have to really think about my ranking, because I'm just not as familiar with One, ?, Lifeline and Sola as I am the others.  I do know this, though:   Similitude will be low (I LOVED the live show, but I put on the album a couple days ago and was like "eh", and I was in a HARD CORE Neal mood at the time), Momentum and The Grand Experiment will be pretty high.   I love uplifting music like that, and Momentum is just solid from top to bottom, and TGE might even be a step above that.

The Grand Experiment has three of my favorite Neal songs ever - The Call, Waterfall and Alive Again - but while I like the title track and Agenda, they are merely good songs, and the album feels a bit unbalanced when listening all the way through, as we go from awesome to good to awesome to good to awesome.  Granted, not every great album is nothing but awesome songs, but it's just the impression I get listening to that one.  Had those two been bonus tracks and then New Jerusalem and Doomsday Destiny being part of the proper album, I'd probably rank the album a little higher (as my rankings are always based on the proper albums, meaning I give no weight to the bonus tracks in those situations).

[The Letter M]

I have to really think about my ranking, because I'm just not as familiar with One, ?, Lifeline and Sola as I am the others.  I do know this, though:   Similitude will be low (I LOVED the live show, but I put on the album a couple days ago and was like "eh", and I was in a HARD CORE Neal mood at the time), Momentum and The Grand Experiment will be pretty high.   I love uplifting music like that, and Momentum is just solid from top to bottom, and TGE might even be a step above that.

The Grand Experiment has three of my favorite Neal songs ever - The Call, Waterfall and Alive Again - but while I like the title track and Agenda, they are merely good songs, and the album feels a bit unbalanced when listening all the way through, as we go from awesome to good to awesome to good to awesome.  Granted, not every great album is nothing but awesome songs, but it's just the impression I get listening to that one.  Had those two been bonus tracks and then New Jerusalem and Doomsday Destiny being part of the proper album, I'd probably rank the album a little higher (as my rankings are always based on the proper albums, meaning I give no weight to the bonus tracks in those situations).

Ahh, you're going to hate my ranking then.  Since I pretty much only listen to albums' special editions, with bonus tracks (either at the end of the album proper or with those songs mixed into the track list), I always consider them when I try to rate and rank albums.

So, with that in mind, here is my late-night ranking, done by using crowdsorter.com (which lets you vote between 2 items, and sorts them all based on which one of each pair you prefer more).
One (SE)
Testimony 2
Testimony
?
The Grand Experiment (SE)
The Similitude Of A Dream
Momentum
The Great Adventure
Sola Scriptura
Lifeline  (SE)


This seems about right, I think. I know I would have normally put One at the top and Lifeline at the bottom, but I didn't expect to have voted for both Testimony albums so much that they'd end up in 2nd and 3rd place, but I really do love those two albums. I think Question Mark ends up at fourth because that was Neal's newest album when I started getting into his solo catalog, so it's forever engrained in my memory as being one of my favorites. When the NMB came out with TGE, I was blown away, bonus tracks and all. For me, it was a breath of fresh air for Neal, and having the writing and playing by Eric and Bill really added a much-needed new dimension to Neal's music.
The following four albums seem about right, though I might swap TGA and Momentum, though I haven't really given a lot of attention to either in recent years, at least not as much as TSOAD. And as for Sola, while I loved it when it came out, I don't find myself going back to it very often. Maybe because, if I want a Neal album with long epics, I just reach for Transatlantic instead.

If anyone wants to use my crowdsorter and vote on stuff, here's the link - https://crowdsorter.com/wktzvjbntw

-Marc.

[Stadler]

Okay, so.... someone I know and trust very much asked me about Neal Morse today.  Rather, I said I was listening to some very positive upbeat music lately; she asked who it was, and I said "Neal Morse" and she said she wanted to check that out.

What would you send?   My first thought is "Supernatural".   Other than Tom Petty, I have no idea what she listens to.  I want to keep the concept to a minimum, and so for me, anything off Similitude or Great Adventure is out.  I don't want to send anything over five or six minutes, so Alive Again is out. 

Momentum?
Weathering Sky?
 

[DTA]

Okay, so.... someone I know and trust very much asked me about Neal Morse today.  Rather, I said I was listening to some very positive upbeat music lately; she asked who it was, and I said "Neal Morse" and she said she wanted to check that out.

What would you send?   My first thought is "Supernatural".   Other than Tom Petty, I have no idea what she listens to.  I want to keep the concept to a minimum, and so for me, anything off Similitude or Great Adventure is out.  I don't want to send anything over five or six minutes, so Alive Again is out. 

Momentum?
Weathering Sky?

I'd probably go the Spock's route...I find Neal's solo music is a little more grating to people who don't typically listen to this type of music. Waste Away, Long Time Suffering, Thoughts 2, and maybe some parts of Healing Colours.

If you're set on solo stuff, then Supernatural, Children Of The Chosen, and Agenda are the only ones that come to mind.

[KevShmev]

Okay, so.... someone I know and trust very much asked me about Neal Morse today.  Rather, I said I was listening to some very positive upbeat music lately; she asked who it was, and I said "Neal Morse" and she said she wanted to check that out.

What would you send?   My first thought is "Supernatural".   Other than Tom Petty, I have no idea what she listens to.  I want to keep the concept to a minimum, and so for me, anything off Similitude or Great Adventure is out.  I don't want to send anything over five or six minutes, so Alive Again is out. 

Momentum?
Weathering Sky?

Waterfall (over 6 minutes, but catchy as heck)
Emma
June
We All Need Some Light

[The Letter M]

How about anything from here -
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sing_It_High:_A_Collection_of_Singles

-Marc.

[Stadler]

Okay, so.... someone I know and trust very much asked me about Neal Morse today.  Rather, I said I was listening to some very positive upbeat music lately; she asked who it was, and I said "Neal Morse" and she said she wanted to check that out.

What would you send?   My first thought is "Supernatural".   Other than Tom Petty, I have no idea what she listens to.  I want to keep the concept to a minimum, and so for me, anything off Similitude or Great Adventure is out.  I don't want to send anything over five or six minutes, so Alive Again is out. 

Momentum?
Weathering Sky?

I'd probably go the Spock's route...I find Neal's solo music is a little more grating to people who don't typically listen to this type of music. Waste Away, Long Time Suffering, Thoughts 2, and maybe some parts of Healing Colours.

If you're set on solo stuff, then Supernatural, Children Of The Chosen, and Agenda are the only ones that come to mind.

Spock's is out; one I'm not familiar with it, and two, I specifically noted Neal's prevalent point of view, so I'm not shying away from "that type of music" (not in quotes to be derisive, but to show understanding).

[Indiscipline]

California Nights
We All Need Some Light
Rose Colored Glasses
Cradle to the Grave

[ronnibran]

Okay, so.... someone I know and trust very much asked me about Neal Morse today.  Rather, I said I was listening to some very positive upbeat music lately; she asked who it was, and I said "Neal Morse" and she said she wanted to check that out.

What would you send?   My first thought is "Supernatural".   Other than Tom Petty, I have no idea what she listens to.  I want to keep the concept to a minimum, and so for me, anything off Similitude or Great Adventure is out.  I don't want to send anything over five or six minutes, so Alive Again is out. 

Momentum?
Weathering Sky?

I'd vote for "The Great Adventure".  I know you said "no" to that album, but it's a great upbeat standalone song. 

If familiar with Neal's self titled solo disc, "Living Out Loud" and "Lost Cause" are great.

You're suggestions of "Supernatural" and "Momentum" are both great too.

[gzarruk]

We All Need Some Light.

[MinistroRaven]

I rank the albums like this

As solo artist:
Sola Gratia
Sola Scriptura
?
One (SE)
Testimony
Jesus Christ: The Exorcist
Testimony 2
Momentum
Lifeline  (SE)

As TNMB:
The Great Adventure
The Similitude Of A Dream
The Grand Experiment (SE)

 

[bosk1]

Sola Gratia

[KevShmev]

I actually think quite a few songs from both Similitude and The Great Adventure would work well as starter songs, and both albums are loaded with short songs that are instantly accessible, but your call, Stadler.  Freedom Song would be an instant grabber for just about anyone.

[KevShmev]

If anyone wants to use my crowdsorter and vote on stuff, here's the link - https://crowdsorter.com/wktzvjbntw

While the order is not how I would put it, the top 4 right looks correct (One, ?, T2 and Similitude).  Smart voters thus far.

[DTA]

Okay, so.... someone I know and trust very much asked me about Neal Morse today.  Rather, I said I was listening to some very positive upbeat music lately; she asked who it was, and I said "Neal Morse" and she said she wanted to check that out.

What would you send?   My first thought is "Supernatural".   Other than Tom Petty, I have no idea what she listens to.  I want to keep the concept to a minimum, and so for me, anything off Similitude or Great Adventure is out.  I don't want to send anything over five or six minutes, so Alive Again is out. 

Momentum?
Weathering Sky?

I'd vote for "The Great Adventure".  I know you said "no" to that album, but it's a great upbeat standalone song. 

If familiar with Neal's self titled solo disc, "Living Out Loud" and "Lost Cause" are great.

You're suggestions of "Supernatural" and "Momentum" are both great too.

Neal's self-titled album is fantastic. Lots of great poppy tracks on there. It's amazing how well his non-prog albums stand up alongside his regular output.

[KevShmev]

Neal's self-titled album is fantastic. Lots of great poppy tracks on there. It's amazing how well his non-prog albums stand up alongside his regular output.

I basically agree.  Granted, I wouldn't rank It's Not Too Late, Songs for November or Life and Times ahead of any of his prog albums, but it's not like there is a big drop-off in quality; those are still good albums.  The self-titled one you referenced is the one I would rank ahead of some of his prog albums.  I'd put it ahead of Lifeline for sure, and possibly Momentum and Testimony depending on what day you ask me.

[Mladen]

Okay, so.... someone I know and trust very much asked me about Neal Morse today.  Rather, I said I was listening to some very positive upbeat music lately; she asked who it was, and I said "Neal Morse" and she said she wanted to check that out.

What would you send?   My first thought is "Supernatural".   Other than Tom Petty, I have no idea what she listens to.  I want to keep the concept to a minimum, and so for me, anything off Similitude or Great Adventure is out.  I don't want to send anything over five or six minutes, so Alive Again is out. 

Momentum?
Weathering Sky?

People have already recommended plenty of great short songs, but I was surprised nobody mentioned anything off of Life and times. That is my go-to album whenever I'm in the mood for Neal's cheerful, short tracks.

Also, I asked a question several pages ago but I don't think it was noticed, so I will quote myself and hope someone knows the answer. The answer might also help Stadler on his quest:

Sorry for the change of topic, but does anyone know what this is? Is this worth tracking down, did anyone hear it?

https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/neal-morse/more-songs-about-coffee-and-my-wife-inner-circle-november-2019/

[OpenYourEyes311]

https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/neal-morse/more-songs-about-coffee-and-my-wife-inner-circle-november-2019/[/url]

I have that. It’s pretty good! I actually just listened to this other night. Very much in the vein of L&T, but they’re pretty much in demo form. Just acoustic guitar or piano and Neal’s voice. Highlights include Sanctuary, She Always Encouraged Me, and I’m Gonna Miss You (this one had me sobbing the other night...)

Sign up for the Inner Circle for $11 and download this for $10. EZPZ.


EDIT: WOOF, I eff’d that quote up real good

[RoeDent]

Does Randy George sing any lead vocals on The Great Adventure? Turns out the voice I thought/assumed was his is actually Bill Hubauer's.

[The Letter M]

Does Randy George sing any lead vocals on The Great Adventure? Turns out the voice I thought/assumed was his is actually Bill Hubauer's.

I checked the liner notes booklet, and on the back cover, it only mentions that everyone does "vocals" and makes no distinction between lead or backing vocals. I haven't listened to TGA that intently in awhile, so I'm not sure if he does any lead vocals on the album (or even live).

-Marc.

[Fritzinger]

I think Randy only sings backing vocals... Also, on stage, I'd say he's the one who sings least.
The Gabriel-esque vocals you can hear on the NMB Albums are Bill's (very prominent on The Ways Of A Fool).

[Moor]

As much as I love Neal, on Jesus Christ The Exorcist the whole gospel-ish God & Jesus thing is just a little too much for me.

But my biggest problem with this album is Eric Gillette. He is a fantastic guitarist and singer. And he certainly can drum, but he's not the kind of drummer that can keep the suspension up for a whole double album. It's impressive when he sits behind MP's kit for a couple of minutes, like during that one Morsefest (I can't remember which one though). But not for a 2 hour progressive rock opera.

I just don't get why Neal went with this decision. Especially when you have someone like Nick friggin D'Virgilio on the album.

I do not agree at all.

IMO when a guitarist is brought to join NM he is brought to fill "the guitarist" role, however, Eric Gillette came in and took the whole band with him to a higher level, he is and still a great addition, especially with his singing. I recommend you to watch TSOAD Live In Tilburg DVD and reconsider your judgment. For me Gillette was the MVP of that live performance.

[DTA]

I can't tell if I love or hate Bill's vocals. I love the uniqueness of it and the way it contrasts with Neal/Eric but other times it sounds like he's really straining to hit the right notes.

[gzarruk]

As much as I love Neal, on Jesus Christ The Exorcist the whole gospel-ish God & Jesus thing is just a little too much for me.

But my biggest problem with this album is Eric Gillette. He is a fantastic guitarist and singer. And he certainly can drum, but he's not the kind of drummer that can keep the suspension up for a whole double album. It's impressive when he sits behind MP's kit for a couple of minutes, like during that one Morsefest (I can't remember which one though). But not for a 2 hour progressive rock opera.

I just don't get why Neal went with this decision. Especially when you have someone like Nick friggin D'Virgilio on the album.

I do not agree at all.

IMO when a guitarist is brought to join NM he is brought to fill "the guitarist" role, however, Eric Gillette came in and took the whole band with him to a higher level, he is and still a great addition, especially with his singing. I recommend you to watch TSOAD Live In Tilburg DVD and reconsider your judgment. For me Gillette was the MVP of that live performance.

And you're right, but he's talking about his drumming in that particular album, and I agree about that and even posted something similar when the album was released. Eric might be able to play the drums well, but that didn't translate so well into the album and I think it is a detriment to the music.

I can't tell if I love or hate Bill's vocals. I love the uniqueness of it and the way it contrasts with Neal/Eric but other times it sounds like he's really straining to hit the right notes.

This. They work well sometimes (The Ways of a Fool), but he sounds really bad to me most of the time (his singing spot in Alive Again sounds horrible to me).