...Is a Real Boy
Encyclopedia
...Is a Real Boy is the second full-length release by Say Anything
.
. Bemis struggled with different ideas for the record and decided the album should focus on "the artistic struggle, the fact that every creative person has this sick ambition to affect some sort of change in society with their art, to be more than just a guy in a band or a poet or a sculptor." According to the album's liner notes, ...Is a Real Boy was originally intended to be a rock opera, complete with a full narrative, cast of characters and spoken word interludes between each song. One tentative title for the album was Zona! Zona! However, Bemis became overwhelmed by the entire process of writing and playing most of the instruments and had a breakdown.
"I literally lost my mind while we were recording," stated Bemis regarding the breakdown. The breakdown centered around a mockumentary
discussed by Bemis and O'Heir. Bemis' condition led him to believe he was being secretly filmed for the mockumentary; the situation culminated in him walking the streets of Brooklyn thinking he was being filmed while encountering friends (who were actually strangers). After recovering, Bemis decided to focus solely on the music and dropped the idea of a script. Around July 2003, the band began recording ...Is a Real Boy, their first album with Doghouse Records. Bemis said the two people he wanted to "outdo with ...Is a Real Boy were Andy Warhol
and Jesus
." In addition to working with O'Heir and Trask, Say Anything worked with Forrest Kline
(of power pop band Hellogoodbye
) to record the For Sale...
EP, released in 2004. The band also worked with ECA Records to record a promotional album that was never released.
"Alive with the Glory of Love
" and "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too
" were the album's singles, 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 to be released via ECA Records (originally on July 15, 2003) and a split EP were planned. However, the promotional vinyl and split were 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.
Though mistaken by many as the band's debut album, ...Is A Real Boy is actually their second album. Their commercially unknown Baseball
album is in fact the group's first full-length release, released while the band was still known as Sayanything. Baseball had only a limited number of pressings that sold out within a few years, making it a highly sought-after collectable among fans. Songs off of Baseball are rarely played live at Say Anything shows, if at all.
and distributed by the RCA Music Group
signed the band and reissue
d the album 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 1,000 copies of the album were printed. Doghouse Records released the third re-issue of the album on October 7, 2008. Like the previous release, the version was on vinyl only and was limited to 1,000 copies.
reviewer Jason Tate awarded the album a 99% rating and praised the band's writing, saying "By the second song it is perceptible that the band has a grasp on crafting songs that do not follow a formula, or insult the listener by maintaining a hold on one particular style or sound." Allmusic's Corey Apar also gave the album a glowing review, writing "...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." Punk News noted that the album seems to be commenting in the over-use of irony
in the emo
scene, writing "Yes, this album is highly ironic in that it's critical of the scene it's categorized in and it's an album about a band and there are songs in here that are about songs. But, Bemis's overall quirkiness makes it work." Entertainment Weekly
wrote that, "Say Anything, an emo act based in L.A., has a new disc that proves that the genre can be artful and intriguing."
with the exception of "Metal Now," which was written by Bemis and Kevin Sachs (Casper Adams), according to the album's liner notes.
Additional credits, also from the liner notes:
Say Anything (band)
Say Anything is an American indie-punk band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Max Bemis. The band was formed in 2000 with Bemis and four of his friends. Within two years, they self-released two EPs, Junior Varsity and In Your Dreams, and the full-length Baseball: An Album by Sayanything.In...
.
Recording and release
After signing with the label, Bemis began writing songs for his band's Doghouse debut. With tremendous self-created pressure, he threw himself into pushing the sonic boundaries of the band and maturing their sound, incorporating elements of math-rock, indie-pop and theatrical pomp. He and Linder also started the search for a producer. The two met several producers but eventually decided on Tim O'Heir and Stephen TraskStephen Trask
Stephen Trask is an American musician and composer, who graduated from Wesleyan University.He was the music director and house band member at the New York club Squeezebox, where he performed with stars such as Debbie Harry, Lene Lovich and Joey Ramone.Trask composed the music and lyrics for the...
. Bemis struggled with different ideas for the record and decided the album should focus on "the artistic struggle, the fact that every creative person has this sick ambition to affect some sort of change in society with their art, to be more than just a guy in a band or a poet or a sculptor." According to the album's liner notes, ...Is a Real Boy was originally intended to be a rock opera, complete with a full narrative, cast of characters and spoken word interludes between each song. One tentative title for the album was Zona! Zona! However, Bemis became overwhelmed by the entire process of writing and playing most of the instruments and had a breakdown.
"I literally lost my mind while we were recording," stated Bemis regarding the breakdown. The breakdown centered around a mockumentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
discussed by Bemis and O'Heir. Bemis' condition led him to believe he was being secretly filmed for the mockumentary; the situation culminated in him walking the streets of Brooklyn thinking he was being filmed while encountering friends (who were actually strangers). After recovering, Bemis decided to focus solely on the music and dropped the idea of a script. Around July 2003, the band began recording ...Is a Real Boy, their first album with Doghouse Records. Bemis said the two people he wanted to "outdo with ...Is a Real Boy were Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
and Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
." In addition to working with O'Heir and Trask, Say Anything worked with Forrest Kline
Forrest Kline
Forrest Scott Kline is the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the power pop band Hellogoodbye. He is of German descent and spent most of his childhood in Huntington Beach, California and in Palm Desert, California, and attended Huntington Beach High School, along with bandmate Jesse Kurvink,...
(of power pop band Hellogoodbye
Hellogoodbye
Hellogoodbye is a power pop band that was formed in Huntington Beach, California in 2001 by singer Forrest Kline. They were signed to Drive-Thru Records and released their first full-length album Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! in 2006, in addition to their previously released EP Hellogoodbye...
) to record the For Sale...
For Sale...
For Sale... is a tour EP by Say Anything. It contains 3 songs from …Is a Real Boy and 2 additional b-sides that were left off the album.-Track listing:† Recorded, mixed, and produced by Tim O'Heir...
EP, released in 2004. The band also worked with ECA Records to record a promotional album that was never released.
"Alive with the Glory of Love
Alive with the Glory of Love
"Alive with the Glory of Love" is the first single off of Say Anything's second album ...Is a Real Boy. The song was a hit for the band, charting at number twenty-eight on the Alternative Songs chart.-Song meaning:...
" and "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too
Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too
"Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too" is the first single from Say Anything's 7-track bonus disc ...Was a Real Boy which was released with the 2006 reissue of their 2004 second album …Is a Real Boy.-Song meaing:...
" were the album's singles, 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 to be released via ECA Records (originally on July 15, 2003) and a split EP were planned. However, the promotional vinyl and split were 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.
Though mistaken by many as the band's debut album, ...Is A Real Boy is actually their second album. Their commercially unknown Baseball
Baseball (album)
Baseball: An Album By Say Anything is the debut album from the American band Say Anything.-History:At the time of the album's release, the band was known as Sayanything, which is the name that appears on the album. During the time of recording in 2001, the band consisted of Max Bemis on vocals,...
album is in fact the group's first full-length release, released while the band was still known as Sayanything. Baseball had only a limited number of pressings that sold out within a few years, making it a highly sought-after collectable among fans. Songs off of Baseball are rarely played live at Say Anything shows, if at all.
Reissues
During the initial release of the album, ...Is a Real Boy managed to sell 20,000 copies independently, attracting major label attention. J Records, then owned and operated by Sony Music EntertainmentSony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
and distributed by the RCA Music Group
RCA Music Group
RCA Music Group was an umbrella group of labels distributed by Sony Music Entertainment that existed between March 2004 and 2009 and for a short period of time between July 2011 and October 2011 until all RCA Music Group labels were merged with RCA Records....
signed the band and reissue
Reissue
A reissue is the repeated issue of a published work. In common usage, it refers to an album which has been released at least once before and is released again, sometimes with alterations or additions....
d the album 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
Doghouse Records
Doghouse Records is a Toledo, Ohio based record label, now run out of the New York City office. Since 2004 Doghouse has been a part of the Warner Music Group....
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 1,000 copies of the album were printed. Doghouse Records released the third re-issue of the album on October 7, 2008. Like the previous release, the version was on vinyl only and was limited to 1,000 copies.
Critical reception
...Is a Real Boy has received almost universally positive reviews from music critics. AbsolutePunk.netAbsolutePunk.net
AbsolutePunk is a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate . The website mainly focuses on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it has been known to feature artists who have eventually achieved crossover success, including Fall...
reviewer Jason Tate awarded the album a 99% rating and praised the band's writing, saying "By the second song it is perceptible that the band has a grasp on crafting songs that do not follow a formula, or insult the listener by maintaining a hold on one particular style or sound." Allmusic's Corey Apar also gave the album a glowing review, writing "...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." Punk News noted that the album seems to be commenting in the over-use of irony
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
in the emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
scene, writing "Yes, this album is highly ironic in that it's critical of the scene it's categorized in and it's an album about a band and there are songs in here that are about songs. But, Bemis's overall quirkiness makes it work." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
wrote that, "Say Anything, an emo act based in L.A., has a new disc that proves that the genre can be artful and intriguing."
Track listing
All lyrics and music written by Max BemisMax Bemis
Max Bemis is the lead singer and primary lyricist of the band Say Anything. He is also co singer along side Chris Conley of the supergroup Two Tongues, which features members from Say Anything and Saves the Day.-The Early Years:...
with the exception of "Metal Now," which was written by Bemis and Kevin Sachs (Casper Adams), according to the album's liner notes.
Original Release: ...Is a Real Boy
Reissue bonus disc: ...Was a Real Boy
Vinyl bonus track
- This is a rerecording of an earlier version appearing on Menorah/Majora, and it also appears on the various artists compilations Punk the Clock 3 and Alternative Press Play, Vol. 1: Back to School.
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
8 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Alive with the Glory of Love Alive with the Glory of Love "Alive with the Glory of Love" is the first single off of Say Anything's second album ...Is a Real Boy. The song was a hit for the band, charting at number twenty-eight on the Alternative Songs chart.-Song meaning:... |
Hot Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
28 |
Credits
According to the liner notes:- Max BemisMax BemisMax Bemis is the lead singer and primary lyricist of the band Say Anything. He is also co singer along side Chris Conley of the supergroup Two Tongues, which features members from Say Anything and Saves the Day.-The Early Years:...
– vocals, guitar, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Coby LinderCoby LinderJacob "Coby" Linder in Skokie, Illinois is best known as the drummer of the band Say Anything. He lists his influences as Travis Barker, Tony Williams, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, and Bryan Newman. According to Say Anything's website, his favorite genres include emo, "death-core...
– percussion, drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Additional credits, also from the liner notes:
- Stephen TraskStephen TraskStephen Trask is an American musician and composer, who graduated from Wesleyan University.He was the music director and house band member at the New York club Squeezebox, where he performed with stars such as Debbie Harry, Lene Lovich and Joey Ramone.Trask composed the music and lyrics for the...
: additional keyboard and pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
on ...Is a Real Boy - Casey Prestwood – additional guitar and slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
on ...Is a Real Boy - Casper Adams – vocals and guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
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