Neil Young Discovers Being Sober for his New Memoir, Drops New Video, Joins Twitter

Photo: Danny ClinchIt's a busy time for Neil Young. The veteran rocker has a new album with his long time backing group Crazy Horse, Psychedelic Pill, due next month, and this week saw the release of his memoir, Waging Heavy Peace.

Young tells The New York ***** he wrote the book while sober for the past year, a new experience for the rocker who admits he's used ***** for most of his life. He told the *****, "I did it for 40 years. Now I want to see what it’s like to not do it. It’s just a different perspective.”

In the book he comments, "Writing is very convenient, has a low expense and is a great way to pass the time. I highly recommend it to any old rocker who is out of cash and doesn’t know what to do next.” Young further explains in the book, "The straighter I am, the more alert I am, the less I know myself and the harder it is to recognize myself. I need a little grounding in something and I am looking for it everywhere.”

After once vowing never to write an autobiography, Young explains why he changed his mind. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to continue to mainly be a musician forever, because physically I think it’s going to take its toll on me -- it’s already starting to show up here and there." He says writing a book allows him "to do what I want the way I want to do it.”

In Waging Heavy Peace Young reveals he partied with Charles Manson and admits he was ******** for **** possession with Eric Clapton and Stephen Stills. He also discusses his approach to being a recording artist. "I’m not here to sell things. That’s what other people do, I’m creating them. If it doesn’t work out, I’m sorry; I’m just doing what I do. You hired me to do what I do, not what you do. As long as people don’t tell me what to do, there will be no problem.”

In addition to the book hitting the shelves, the new Neil Young & Crazy Horse video "Walk Like A Giant" debuted Tuesday on Rollingstone.com. The song is the first release from their upcoming, eight-song double CD Psychedelic Pill to be released October 30.

Finally, the notoriously analog-loving Young is stepping up to the digital age, promoting the music on his new Twitter account. He will participate in the Legends on Twitter series and will take questions from fans for the first time, he tweeted, but no announcement on when the Twitter chat will take place.