Two Bit Monsters

Two Bit Monsters
Two Bit Monsters
Studio album by John Hiatt
Released	June 1980
Studio	International Automated Media, Irvine, California; Kitchen Sync Studios, Hollywood; Crystal Sound, Los Angeles
Genre	Rock
Length	34:43
Label	MCA
Producer	Denny Bruce, John Hiatt
John Hiatt chronology
Alternative cover
	Album cover from Slug Line/Two Bit Monsters combo CD
Singles from Two Bit Monsters
	"I Spy (For the F.B.I.)" / "Good Girl, Bad World"; Released: 1980; "Back to the War" / "Pink Bedroom"; Released: 1980; "Back to Normal"; Released: 1981;

Two Bit Monsters is singer-songwriter John Hiatt's fourth album, released in June 1980. It was his second of two albums with MCA Records.^[1] It failed to chart, and MCA dropped Hiatt. "It Hasn't Happened Yet" would be a minor country hit for Rosanne Cash, from her album Somewhere in the Stars. Cash also covered "Pink Bedroom", on Rhythm & Romance.

Release

Two Bit Monsters was released by MCA Records in June 1980.^[1]^[2]^[3] "I Spy (For the F.B.I.)" was released as a single,^[4]^[5] with "Good Girl, Bad World" as the B-Side.^[6] "Back to the War", c/w "Pink Bedroom",^[7]^[8] and "Back to Normal" were also released as singles.^[9] The album failed to chart everywhere but Sweden, where it peaked at No. 41 on the Sverigetopplistan chart.^[10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[11]
Cash Box	(unrated)^[12]
Robert Christgau	B^[13]
Rolling Stone	(favorable)^[14]

The Boston Globe wrote that "Hiatt's effort is strong, angry, and intelligent... He is not content to sneer, rather, Hiatt is one to ridicule and condemn."^[15] Billboard wrote that the album "takes him [Hiatt] from the folk rock genre to the world of pop rock."^[16]

Track listing

All tracks are written by John Hiatt, except where noted.

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Back to Normal"		3:18
2.	"Down in Front"		3:22
3.	"I Spy (For the F.B.I.)"	Richard "Popcorn" Wylie, Herman Kelley	2:41
4.	"Pink Bedroom"		2:53
5.	"Good Girl, Bad World"		3:14
6.	"Face the Nation"		3:07

Side two
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Cop Party"	2:54
2.	"Back to the War"	3:28
3.	"It Hasn't Happened Yet"	3:22
4.	"String Pull Job"	3:22
5.	"New Numbers"	3:02
Total length:		34:43

Personnel

John Hiatt – guitar, vocals
Howard Epstein – bass guitar, background vocals
Shane Keister – keyboards, organ, piano
Darrell Verdusco – drums, background vocals

Technical

Denny Bruce – producer
Mark Howlett – recording, mixing
John Van Hamersveld – photography, design

References

^ ^a ^b "MCA Plans Campaigns for June LPs" (PDF). Record World. June 14, 1980. p. 57 – via World Radio History.
^ "MCA Releases Ten" (PDF). Record World. May 31, 1980. p. 14 – via World Radio History.
^ "From Over The Rainbow" (PDF). Billboard. June 7, 1980. p. 2 – via World Radio History.
^ "Record World Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. August 23, 1980. p. 14 – via World Radio History.
^ Sutton, Martyn (August 23, 1980). "Single File" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 18 – via World Radio History.
^ "Releases" (PDF). Music Week. July 26, 1980. p. 26 – via World Radio History.
^ "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. October 18, 1980. p. 30 – via World Radio History.
^ "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. October 25, 1980. p. 32 – via World Radio History.
^ "Singles" (PDF). Record Mirror. May 9, 1981. p. 14 – via World Radio History.
^ "swedishcharts.com - John Hiatt - Two Bit Monsters". Sverigetopplistan.
^ Ruhlmann, William. Two Bit Monsters at AllMusic. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 14, 1980. p. 26. ISSN 0006-2510 – via World Radio History.
^ "Consumer Guide, John Hiatt reviews". Robert Christgau. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
^ Carson, Tom (October 2, 1980). "John Hiatt: Two Bit Monsters: Music review". Rolling Stone (RS 327). Archived from the original on March 10, 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
^ Allan, Marc (July 24, 1980). "Records/Reviews". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 1.
^ "Billboard's Recommended LPs" (PDF). Billboard. June 14, 1980. p. 68 – via World Radio History.

This 1980s rock album–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[:0-1] "MCA Plans Campaigns for June LPs" (PDF). Record World. June 14, 1980. p. 57 – via World Radio History.

[2] "MCA Releases Ten" (PDF). Record World. May 31, 1980. p. 14 – via World Radio History.

[3] "From Over The Rainbow" (PDF). Billboard. June 7, 1980. p. 2 – via World Radio History.

[4] "Record World Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. August 23, 1980. p. 14 – via World Radio History.

[5] Sutton, Martyn (August 23, 1980). "Single File" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 18 – via World Radio History.

[6] "Releases" (PDF). Music Week. July 26, 1980. p. 26 – via World Radio History.

[7] "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. October 18, 1980. p. 30 – via World Radio History.

[8] "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. October 25, 1980. p. 32 – via World Radio History.

[9] "Singles" (PDF). Record Mirror. May 9, 1981. p. 14 – via World Radio History.

[10] "swedishcharts.com - John Hiatt - Two Bit Monsters". Sverigetopplistan.

[11] Ruhlmann, William. Two Bit Monsters at AllMusic. Retrieved August 12, 2011.

[cbreview-12] "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 14, 1980. p. 26. ISSN 0006-2510 – via World Radio History.

[13] "Consumer Guide, John Hiatt reviews". Robert Christgau. Retrieved August 12, 2011.

[14] Carson, Tom (October 2, 1980). "John Hiatt: Two Bit Monsters: Music review". Rolling Stone (RS 327). Archived from the original on March 10, 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2011.

[15] Allan, Marc (July 24, 1980). "Records/Reviews". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 1.

[16] "Billboard's Recommended LPs" (PDF). Billboard. June 14, 1980. p. 68 – via World Radio History.

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v t e John Hiatt
Studio albums	Hangin' Around the Observatory (1974) Overcoats (1975) Slug Line (1979) Two Bit Monsters (1980) All of a Sudden (1982) Riding with the King (1983) Warming Up to the Ice Age (1985) Bring the Family (1987) Slow Turning (1988) Stolen Moments (1990) Perfectly Good Guitar (1993) Walk On (1995) Little Head (1997) Crossing Muddy Waters (2000) The Tiki Bar Is Open (2001) Beneath This Gruff Exterior (2003) Master of Disaster (2005) Same Old Man (2008) The Open Road (2010) Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns (2011) Mystic Pinball (2012) Terms of My Surrender (2014) The Eclipse Sessions (2018) Leftover Feelings (2021)
Live albums	Hiatt Comes Alive at Budokan? (1994) Live from Austin, TX (2005)
Compilation albums	Y'all Caught? The Ones That Got Away 1979–1985 (1989)
Songs	"Sure As I'm Sittin' Here" "Take Time to Know Her" "Have a Little Faith in Me" "Drive South" "Bring Back Your Love to Me"
Related	Discography Little Village

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