...Is A Real Boy

...Is a Real Boy was released on August 3, 2004 through Doghouse Records. It begat two singles, "Alive with the Glory of Love" and "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too", released on September 11, 2006 and January 30, 2007 respectively. Several songs from ...Is a Real Boy and their corresponding demos—including "Belt," "Every Man Has a Molly," "Spidersong," and "Alive with the Glory of Love" have been released on compilations.

A promotional 7" vinyl was to be released via ECA Records (originally on July 15, 2003) However, the promotional vinyl was never released, although both tracks from the vinyl, an acoustic version of "Belt" (complete with alternate lyrics and a tirade about indie labels by Bemis at the end of the song) along with "You Help Them" (from Menorah Majora) can be downloaded from Say Anything's online forum.

At the time of the release of the album during the original and the re-release both the media and fans had mistaken ...Is A Real Boy as the band's debut album. The reason for this was the commercially unknown Baseball album which was the band's debut album had a limited number of prints that sold out within a few years and had been released under the band's old typeset "Sayanything" and none of the songs of Baseball were being played live.

Reissues
The band signed to J Records following the initial release of the album, resulting in a reissue on February 28, 2006. The bonus disc included with the reissue, ...Was a Real Boy, features seven tracks that were originally from an eight-track EP known unofficially as the Say Anything vs. AIDS Demos. As noted in the reissue's liner notes, the EP, which was recorded in Kevin Seaton's garage, was scrapped by Bemis as he did not feel the band was popular enough to sufficiently support such a cause.

A second reissue came in the form of a "double gatefold 12-inch LP" released by Doghouse Records on October 23, 2007, which included all tracks from the original reissue plus an extra track, "Walk Through Hell," originally from the Menorah Majora EP. This release included a green record and a black record. Only 1000 copies of the album were printed.

Critical Acclaim
...Is a Real Boy received overall good reviews from music critics. Absolutepunk.net's Jason Tate stated that "If you sit there and read those last lines and go, 'holy shit, that was amazing' this album will become your favorite record of all time." Allmusic also gave much acclaim to the album, saying "...Is a Real Boy comes off as an impressively well-done, multifaceted effort that deserves multiple spins and makes Say Anything truly a band to watch."

Tracklisting
...Is A Real Boy

1 "Belt" – 4:59 2 "Woe" – 3:55 3 "The Writhing South" – 4:46 4 "Alive with the Glory of Love" – 4:15 5 "Yellow Cat (Slash) Red Cat" – 5:18 6 "The Futile" – 2:45 7 "Spidersong" – 3:57 8 "An Orgy of Critics" – 3:55 9 "Every Man Has a Molly" – 3:05 10 "Slowly, Through a Vector" – 4:40 11 "Chia-Like, I Shall Grow" – 4:56 12 "I Want to Know Your Plans" – 5:12 13 "Admit It!!!" – 6:12

...Was A Real Boy (re-issue bonus disc)

1 "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too" – 3:00 2 "Little Girls" – 3:53 3 "Most Beautiful Plague" – 4:53 4 "It's a Metaphor, Fool" – 2:51 5 "Total Revenge" – 3:27 6 "Metal Now" – 2:44 7 "I Will Never Write an Obligatory Song About Being on the Road and Missing Someone" – 3:49

Vinyl bonus track 1 "Walk Through Hell" – 3:30

Liner notes
According to the liner notes: Max Bemis – vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards Coby Linder – percussion, drums Additional credits, also from the liner notes: Stephen Trask: additional keyboard and piano on ...Is a Real Boy Casey Prestwood – additional guitar and slide guitar on ...Is a Real Boy Casper Adams - vocals and guitar on "Metal Now" Ariel Rechtshaid: keyboard and programming on "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too" Additional Vocals on ...Is a Real Boy: Caitlin Broderick, Patrick Carrie, Kyle Fischer, Robb, MacLean, Robert Mann, Adrienne Pearson, Vanessa Peters, Blair Shehan, and Sierra Swan Gang vocals on ...Is a Real Boy: Casper Adams, Dan DeLauro, Aaron Farley, Carrick Moore Garety, Morgan Silver Greenberg, Paul Jeffrey, Tim O'Heir, Nick Panama, Austin Peters, Matt Rubin, Kevin Seaton, Bryan Sheffield, Claire Weiss, and Jeremy Weiss