So I decided to pull out my copy of TSOAD and check the credits, and here's how it is printed on the packaging/in the booklet:
Written, Arranged and Produced by
Morse, Portnoy, George, Hubauer & Gillette
Lyrics by Neal Morse
If they are supposedly given equal credit, why aren't the names alphabetized, like you'd expect? George, Gillette, Hubauer, Morse & Portnoy? The way it seems makes it seem like that's the order of contributions, if there is any meaning to the order at all. Granted, it could be that Morse/Portnoy/George are listed that way because that's the order in which they joined Neal/the band, and listing the last two as "Hubauer & Gillette" rather than "Hubauer, and Gillette" makes sense as they joined at the same time.
Either way, when you take into account the fact that, even on the NMB albums, Neal probably still contributes the majority of the musical ideas and arrangements, and possibly almost all of the lyrics, it's not hard to think that someone might see it as a Neal Morse record with a band playing on it. As has been stated above, the transition from solo Neal records to NMB can seem only surface-level, with vocal contributions from Gillette and Hubauer, as some might find their performances near indistinguishable from Neal's, though I have gained more of an ear for Eric's guitar playing over the last two records.
It all seems very silly that they are making a fuss about this - of COURSE they all should be credited, that's why it's the Neal Morse BAND and not something like "Neal Morse And The Morsels" or something dumb where they feel like an appendage that can be easily replaced or chopped off. It's not like they have never heard an album/seen a movie or tv show and referred to them as a work by the main creator/director, right? Like, all those Stanley Kubrick films have other creators behind them, but he gets the credit, right?
https://myglobalmind.com/2019/01/06/neal-morse-on-the-bands-newest-cd-the-great-adventure-its-amazing-this-album-got-done/
Here's an interview with Neal discussing the creation of TGA, with some good insight regarding how the album went through some revisions before being finalized.
-Marc.
Good find! Nice interview.
I saw it posted by Mike on Facebook, oddly enough! It struck me as interesting considering how much work went into reshaping the album throughout 2018. We got hints of that in Neal's Inner Circle newsletters, but it sounds like a lot more went into re-working the album into a double concept than I had originally thought. Now I am really excited to watch the Making Of DVD that Randy has put together!
-Marc.