Two Bit Monsters

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.

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
Slug Line (1979) Two Bit Monsters (1980) All of a Sudden (1982)
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: August 1980 "Back to the War" / "Pink Bedroom" Released: 1980 "Back to Normal" Released: 1981

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 in August 1980,^[4] with "Good Girl, Bad World" as the B-Side.^[5] "Back to the War", c/w "Pink Bedroom",^[6][7] and "Back to Normal" were also released as singles.^[8] The album failed to chart everywhere but Sweden, where it peaked at No. 41 on the Sverigetopplistan chart.^[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[10]
Cash Box	(unrated)[11]
Robert Christgau	B[12]
Rolling Stone	(favorable)[13]

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."^[14] Billboard wrote that the album "takes him [Hiatt] from the folk rock genre to the world of pop rock."^[15]

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