Two Bit Monsters
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Two Bit Monsters
| type = Album
| artist = John Hiatt
| cover = Hiatt Monsters.jpg
| alt =
| released = June 1980
| recorded =
| venue =
| 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
| prev_title = Slug Line
| prev_year = 1979
| next_title = All of a Sudden
| next_year = 1982
| misc = {{Extra album cover
| header = Alternative cover
| type = album
| cover = SlugTwoBit.jpg
| border =
| alt =
| caption = Album cover from Slug Line/Two Bit Monsters combo CD
}}
{{Singles
| name = Two Bit Monsters
| type = studio
| single1 = I Spy (For the F.B.I.)" / "Good Girl, Bad World
| single1date = August 1980
| single2 = Back to the War" / "Pink Bedroom
| single2date = 1980
| single3 = Back to Normal
| single3date = 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.{{Cite magazine |date=June 14, 1980 |title=MCA Plans Campaigns for June LPs |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/80s/80/Record-World-1980-06-14%20(Original).pdf |magazine=Record World |page=57 |via=World Radio History}} 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.{{Cite magazine |date=May 31, 1980 |title=MCA Releases Ten |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/80s/80/Record-World-1980-05-31.pdf |magazine=Record World |page=14 |via=World Radio History}}{{Cite magazine |date=June 7, 1980 |title=From Over The Rainbow |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1980/BB-1980-06-07.pdf |magazine=Billboard |page=2 |via=World Radio History}} "I Spy (For the F.B.I.)" was released as a single in August 1980,{{Cite magazine |date=August 23, 1980 |title=Record World Single Picks |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/80s/80/Record-World-1980-08-23.pdf |magazine=Record World |page=14 |via=World Radio History}} with "Good Girl, Bad World" as the B-Side.{{Cite magazine |date=July 26, 1980 |title=Releases |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1980/Music-Week-1980-07-26.pdf |magazine=Music Week |page=26 |via=World Radio History}} "Back to the War", c/w "Pink Bedroom",{{Cite magazine |date=October 18, 1980 |title=New Singles |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1980/Music-Week-1980-10-18.pdf |magazine=Music Week |page=30 |via=World Radio History}}{{Cite magazine |date=October 25, 1980 |title=New Singles |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1980/Music-Week-1980-10-25-I.pdf |magazine=Music Week |page=32 |via=World Radio History}} and "Back to Normal" were also released as singles.{{Cite magazine |date=May 9, 1981 |title=Singles |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/80s/81/Record-Mirror-1981-05-09-OCR.pdf |magazine=Record Mirror |page=14 |via=World Radio History}} The album failed to chart everywhere but Sweden, where it peaked at No. 41 on the Sverigetopplistan chart.{{Cite web |title=swedishcharts.com - John Hiatt - Two Bit Monsters |url=https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=John+Hiatt&titel=Two+Bit+Monsters&cat=a |website=Sverigetopplistan}}
Critical reception
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r9302|first=William|last=Ruhlmann|accessdate=August 12, 2011}}
| rev2 = Cash Box
| rev2Score = (unrated){{cite news|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1980/CB-1980-06-14.pdf|title=Album Reviews|work=Cash Box|date=June 14, 1980|page=26|via=World Radio History|issn=0006-2510}}
| rev3 = Robert Christgau
| rev3Score = B{{cite web |publisher=Robert Christgau|title=Consumer Guide, John Hiatt reviews|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=John+Hiatt |accessdate=August 12, 2011}}
| rev4 = Rolling Stone
| rev4score = (favorable){{cite journal |journal=Rolling Stone|title=John Hiatt: Two Bit Monsters: Music review|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/johnhiatt/albums/album/244554/review/5946432/two_bit_monsters |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310095936/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/johnhiatt/albums/album/244554/review/5946432/two_bit_monsters |archivedate=March 10, 2009|issue=RS 327|first=Tom|last=Carson|date=October 2, 1980|url-status=dead|accessdate=August 12, 2011}}
}}
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."{{cite news |last1=Allan |first1=Marc |title=Records/Reviews |work=The Boston Globe |date=24 July 1980 |department=Calendar |page=1}} Billboard wrote that the album "takes him [Hiatt] from the folk rock genre to the world of pop rock."{{Cite magazine |date=June 14, 1980 |title=Billboard's Recommended LPs |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1980/BB-1980-06-14.pdf |magazine=Billboard |page=68 |via=World Radio History}}
Track listing
All tracks are written by John Hiatt, except where noted.
{{Track listing
| headline = Side one
| title1 = Back to Normal
| length1 = 3:18
| title2 = Down in Front
| length2 = 3:22
| title3 = I Spy (For the F.B.I.)
| length3 = 2:41
| writer3 = Richard "Popcorn" Wylie, Herman Kelley
| title4 = Pink Bedroom
| length4 = 2:53
| title5 = Good Girl, Bad World
| length5 = 3:14
| title6 = Face the Nation
| length6 = 3:07
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
| total_length = 34:43
| title1 = Cop Party
| length1 = 2:54
| title2 = Back to the War
| length2 = 3:28
| title3 = It Hasn't Happened Yet
| length3 = 3:22
| title4 = String Pull Job
| length4 = 3:22
| title5 = New Numbers
| length5 = 3:02
}}
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
{{Reflist}}
{{John Hiatt}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Albums produced by Denny Bruce
{{1980s-rock-album-stub}}