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No Straight Up 2

August 30, 2007 | Book
Joe Esposito, author of - amongst others - "Straight Up vol. 1" has made it known to us that there will be no sequel. Volume 2 has been announced, including the black & white cover, but the script itself is withdrawn. No specific reason was given, other than Joe's hope to be able to concentrate on other book projects.
Source:ElvisMatters
Jerome wrote on August 30, 2007
his next project is titled: 'Stay away, Joe'
Elvisnites wrote on August 30, 2007
Read vol. 1 and was not impressed. It only answered one question for me about the song "Hurt" which I have on CD and was told in the book it was destroyed. So much for that theory. Other than that it rehashed old news. Vol. 2 was not on my list to have. Sorry, but the book could have been better.
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on August 31, 2007
Why would i want volume 1? as for the hurt song,im guessing were talking the x rated version? if so why do people like that kind of stuff,it makes Elvis look so bad and nothing i need to hear,its just sad & pathetic!
Natha wrote on August 31, 2007
Mature Elvis Fan: you're quite right about the x-rated versions. To hear the different outtakes gives one an idea how the knows songs came to be and that is interesting and sometimes exiting. When being x-rated there is something not for the public. Indeed it makes ELVIS look bad. The book as such is one in a line of 'I know it all because I have been there'-way, just to fill the pockets while they still can with spicy stories. Sometimes so-called friends write x-rated stories. Friends? Who didn't do foolish things in life? True friends will never disclose these events. So I gave up on these a long time ago. The Elvis Unlimited books give one at least normal information with beautiful photos.
efan4ever wrote on August 31, 2007
What do you all mean by an x rated version of the song Hurt. I do not understand.
Elvisnites wrote on August 31, 2007
First of all, I did not buy the CD because of the x-rated song. I was not aware when I purchased the CD on line that it has an x-rated song on it. It was just listed as an out-take. The other songs were not x-rated in my opinion, nor was the CD listed as x-rated. A sh*t here and there, but nothing else. This is why I was curious about such a song. The book did answer that question. So buyer beware. Not all descriptions are accurate. As far as making Elvis look bad, have you ever attended a midnight concert? He was told to save his comments for the midnight show and not to make them on the dinner shows because of children being in the audience. I don't think this makes him look bad. It makes him look human. he was human with all the faults that everyone else had. I do not think any less of him because of it. To answer efan4ever, Elvis after recording the song "Hurt" made another version as a joke for his father. The tape was to be destroyed, but some idiot kept and sold it.
Steve V wrote on August 31, 2007
This is good news. Volume 1 was extremely disappointing after so much hype. What CD is everyone referring to witht the X-rated Hurt on it?
My boy, my boy wrote on August 31, 2007
For Efanforever, the x-rated version of "Hurt" is the one he made at the very same time he made the original one in 1976 in the jungle room session. Elvis changes the lyrics for fun (just as he often used to do anyway) but on that occasion he maybe let himself go a little more than usual as he spoke real raw words during the middle part...It's up to you to find out one of these days !
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on September 04, 2007
Let me be clear that im a big fan,but i find that the only idiot regarding the hurt outtake was Elvis,you dont put something like that on tape,not when your well known,and the words were crude and nasty,i can tolerate some thing but things like this do nothing for him and show either a sick sence of humor or someone needing some help!
Jerry 79 wrote on September 10, 2007
I am sorry to say that, but I enjoyed reading this book. I am still wondering how close it is to the truth but Joe answered questions as – why Elvis did not go to Europe for a tour and others. He was just a human and he had a major problem with his medicine dependency and he didn’t do anything with it. The quality of the book (I mean the paper and photos) is below everything I saw and the price was much to high for it. I do not understand the fuss about the Hurt x-rated version. I find it funny. One thing surprised me – Joe did not know that it was released on a bootleg CD – this shows what a mess they have/had in the archives.
the colonel wrote on September 12, 2007
first off , the x rated version of hurt has done the rounds for years , some years back [early 80's] it was sold via audio tape, the performance just shows how ELVIS truly felt at the time , and the anger he had toward cila- no one to blame but E.P. himself for laying down such a great track. Esposito's book was a rehash of the same ol sh.., hell you could have heard all the stories mentioned on the serius radio program that was aired on the 16th.
sal05 wrote on September 13, 2007
i foud this book to be completely disappointing..particularly coming from a guy like Joe.....definitely an attempt to squeeze a few more dollrs out of fans with old rehashed and non detailed stories. print is poor...pictures look like cheap black and white photocopies and the stories........many pages of meaningless stuff.....and yeah....i dont know where joe has been lately but that version of Hurt can be found in many places and actually....just came out again in the Jungle collection...... was hoping for much more from E's right hand man.......all you ever wanted to know about the man can be found in Peter Guralnick's volumes and the Memphis Mafia stories.......im glad Joe gave up on vol 2.