Is This Real?

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Christgau's Record Guide	B+[3]
MusicHound Rock	4/5[4]
OndaRock	7.5/10[5]
Q	[6]
The Rolling Stone Record Guide	[7]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	7/10[8]

Initially wanting to put it out through his own Trap Records, Sage decided to release the album through Park Avenue Records, hoping that it would give them slightly wider distribution. Before it was released, Park Avenue insisted that the band re-record the album at a professional studio, as it was originally recorded at the band's rehearsal studio on a 4-track recorder.[9] When finally released, the album was not promoted and received little attention, only developing a cult following in the band's hometown. Reviewing for The Village Voice in 1980, Robert Christgau wrote, "Three guys from Portland (Oregon, but it might just as well be Maine) who caught on to punk unfashionably late and for that reason sound like they're still discovering something. Which hardly makes them unique--there are similar bands in dozens if not hundreds of American cities, many of whom send me records. What distinguishes this one is Greg Sage's hard-edged vocals--detached but never silly, passionate but never overwrought--and economical one-hook construction".[10]

The album (and the band's music in general) gained a slightly wider audience during the early 1990s when grunge band Nirvana covered the songs "Return of the Rat" and "D-7" on a Wipers tribute album and the group's Hormoaning EP. In 1993, Nirvana vocalist/guitarist Kurt Cobain listed Is This Real? at No. 46 in the top 50 albums he thought were most influential to Nirvana's sound in his Journals.[11][12] BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel stated in a 1993 interview that it was one of his top 20 favorite albums.

Is This Real? later came to be regarded as a classic punk rock album of the 1980s. Stephen Howell of AllMusic, in his retrospective review, rated the album 4 out of 5 stars and stated that the production "leaves much to be desired with its tinny-sounding drums, but fortunately, the negatives don't outweigh the positives."[2] He also said that Sage wrote "fairly simplistic songs with power chords, but each melody infects your brain like a fever" and noted that much of the album has a dark and ominous feel.[2]

Apart from the aforementioned Nirvana cover, "Return of the Rat" was also covered by Bored! on their album Scuzz.[13] The track "Mystery" was covered by numerous bands including Eagulls,[14] JEFF the Brotherhood,[15] Shellshag,[16] Rose Melberg,[17] and Meat Wave. "Up Front" was covered by Poison Idea[18] and Corin Tucker, "Potential Suicide" by Napalm Beach,[19] and "Wait A Minute" by My Vitriol.[20]

All tracks are written by Greg Sage.

• Greg Sage – lead vocals, guitar
• Dave Koupal – bass
• Sam Henry – drums

Production

• Greg Sage – producer
• Bob Stoutenberg – engineer, recording
• Mark Heim; Mike King – cover art
• Jay Elliot – sleeve art