from NMEonline

Neil Young reveals he has been sober for a year




The legendary rocker reportedly gave up drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana in order to write his memoir, Waging Heavy Peace, which comes out in the UK on October 11.

"I did it for 40 years. Now I want to see what it's like to not do it," said Young to the New York Times. "It's just a different perspective."

He added: "The straighter I am, the more alert I am, the less I know myself and the harder it is to recognise myself. I need a little grounding in something, and I am looking for it everywhere."

In the piece, Young also says that he doesn't see himself being a musician for the rest of his life. He said: "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."

Neil Young And Crazy Horse release their second album of this year, 'Psychedelic Pill', on October 29. The album follows June's covers LP 'Americana'. The new record opens with a song called 'Driftin' Back', which almost 28 minutes long.

'Psychedelic Pill' is Young's first album of all new material with Crazy Horse since 2003 and will feature the full Crazy Horse line-up of Billy Talbot, Ralph Molina and Frank Sampedro. The album will be available on double CD and triple vinyl and full-length videos for each of the LP's tracks will be previewed online.

After playing a number of Stateside shows last month, Neil Young and Crazy Horse will head off on a full tour in the US and Canada in October and November, including an appearance at the Austin City Limits festival. As of yet, no plans for a UK or European tour have been announced.