Mike Mccready Quotes

Powerful Mike Mccready for Daily Growth

About Mike Mccready

Michael John McCready, born on July 5, 1966, in Seattle, Washington, is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the iconic grunge band Pearl Jam. As a founding member, he has been instrumental in shaping the band's unique sound since its formation in 1990. McCready's passion for music ignited at a young age. He started playing guitar at seven and was influenced by artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith, and Van Halen. Before Pearl Jam, he played in several local bands, including the Stone Gossard-fronted Green River and Mother Love Bone, where he met future bandmates Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, and Jeff Ament. In 1990, after the demise of Mother Love Bone, McCready, along with Vedder, Gossard, Ament, and drummer Dave Krusen, formed Pearl Jam. The band gained immediate success with their debut album "Ten" (1991), which spawned hits like "Alive," "Even Flow," and "Jeremy." Throughout his career, McCready has been recognized for his technical prowess on the guitar and his distinctive solos. He's also known for his emotional performance style, often tearing up while playing. In addition to Pearl Jam, he has collaborated with artists such as Chris Cornell, Steve Vai, and Neil Young. McCready's life has not been without struggle. He battled substance abuse issues in the 1990s but has since remained sober. He is also an advocate for animal rights and has a rescue farm where he takes care of horses. Today, McCready continues to tour and record with Pearl Jam, contributing significantly to the band's continued success. His music remains a testament to the power of grunge and the enduring legacy of Seattle's '90s music scene.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Music is like a language that everyone should learn."

Mike McCready's quote suggests that music, like a universal language, transcends geographical, cultural, and linguistic boundaries. Just as we learn and appreciate different languages to connect with others globally, learning music enables us to understand and empathize with people from diverse backgrounds, fostering unity and shared experiences across the world. Additionally, being fluent in music allows individuals to express their emotions, thoughts, and ideas creatively and effectively, making it an essential skill for human connection and growth.

"Rock and roll is not just about playing an instrument, it's about expressing yourself."

This quote by Mike McCready emphasizes that rock and roll music transcends the mere act of playing an instrument; it embodies self-expression. In essence, the artistry in rock and roll is deeply rooted in the emotional communication and personal stories conveyed through the medium. It's a powerful platform where artists can share their feelings, ideas, and perspectives with the world, setting them free from the constraints of words alone.

"I just want to make music for the rest of my life."

This quote expresses a deep passion and dedication to a lifelong pursuit of creating music, suggesting that Mike McCready finds immense joy, fulfillment, and purpose in his musical craft. It signifies an unwavering commitment to his artistry, a desire to continually grow and evolve as a musician, and a wish to share that journey with others for the duration of his life. Essentially, it's about living a life driven by music, creativity, and the love of making beautiful sounds.

"I think you can only be true to yourself in what you do, and that comes through in your work."

This quote by Mike McCready emphasizes personal authenticity as a key aspect of creative expression. He suggests that when an individual is genuine and honest with themselves during the creative process, their unique personality shines through their work, making it authentic and distinctive. In other words, being true to oneself allows for the creation of art or work that reflects one's personal identity, values, and experiences, thereby increasing its value and resonance with audiences.

"Music is a way to communicate with people on a very deep level."

This quote by Mike McCready suggests that music transcends ordinary conversation, allowing artists to connect with their audience in a profound manner. Music has an emotional and psychological impact that words alone may struggle to convey. It speaks to the universal experiences, feelings, and aspirations of humanity, fostering shared understanding and empathy across cultural and linguistic barriers. This deep communication through music is what makes it such a powerful means of human connection and expression.

I still believe guitars will be around as long as there's rock music.

- Mike McCready

Music, Rock, Still, Rock Music

I'm the kind of guy who wants to be involved in everything concerning our new baby. I don't want to miss a thing.

- Mike McCready

New, Kind, Want, New Baby

After Mad Season, I started writing my own music for Pearl Jam and brought it in. 'Given To Fly' came out of that, and so did 'Faithful' - those were on 'Yield,' which came after Mad Season.

- Mike McCready

Own, Out, Brought, Yield

I think, as an artist, you want to keep going - you want to keep taking challenges; you want to be pushed, in a way - and I think Sonic Evolution does that, it makes me feel a little uncomfortable and get out of my comfort zone.

- Mike McCready

Challenges, Artist, I Think, Sonic

I've always wanted to have keyboards in the band.

- Mike McCready

Band, Always, Wanted, Keyboards

The average life spans of many bands are not that long, up to five years if they are lucky.

- Mike McCready

Lucky, Average, Up, Spans

Whether it's Neil Young or Johnny Rotten, a band has to have someone like that: someone who you listen to and know that he believes what he says.

- Mike McCready

Young, Like, Neil, Johnny

I'll hear us on classic rock radio stations, and I'll go, 'Oh, my God, we're getting old!'

- Mike McCready

Go, Old, Oh My God, Classic Rock

We'll go to South America and play to 60,000. It's insane.

- Mike McCready

Play, Go, South, South America

In the early days of Pearl Jam, we were caught up in such a whirlwind that I was just trying to keep my head on straight and play music. I didn't have the kind of confidence that other guys in the band did.

- Mike McCready

Play, Caught, Early Days, Pearl Jam

I never play as well without these guys; the best I have ever been creatively has been with Pearl Jam.

- Mike McCready

Best, Play, Been, Pearl Jam

I think our fans are bigger and better students of Pearl Jam than we are.

- Mike McCready

Think, Bigger, I Think, Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam sit down and have conversations about Kiss all the time on tour.

- Mike McCready

Time, Jam, About, Pearl Jam

We want to have a life outside of Pearl Jam, too.

- Mike McCready

Want, Outside, Too, Pearl Jam

When we're not doing any Pearl Jam stuff, that's when I'll probably think of doing something else, whether that be scoring - hopefully more opportunities will come - or doing a solo thing.

- Mike McCready

Doing, Think, Scoring, Pearl Jam

I try to dig deep into my soul to figure out something positive in the pain. I think I go to certain places when I play to heal.

- Mike McCready

Deep, Play, Think, Heal

'Black Diamond' blew my mind. Ace Frehley came onstage and did it with us at Madison Square Garden a few years ago, which was a total high watermark in my life. When I was 13, I never thought in a million years that I would even talk to him; I'd probably pass out. And here I am playing with him!

- Mike McCready

My Life, Here, Ace, Blew

Sometimes with Polaroids, the shot you want to get in your head doesn't happen. What it makes me do is be patient, I guess, or let go of that presumption of what the shot's going to be.

- Mike McCready

Sometimes, Happen, Going, Be Patient

When our band took off, we were all in this microcosm of a hurricane or whatever it was. It was a crazy, crazy dream come true with nightmares floating around it, and all sorts of stuff was happening, and my Crohn's was happening.

- Mike McCready

Come, Hurricane, Took, Floating

I used to sit for hours and copy every lick on those early AC/DC and Kiss records. From there, I went on to Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. After a while, you kind of develop your own style.

- Mike McCready

Own, Records, Used, Lick

At some shows, the set list gets changed while we are on stage. I know Ed thinks about the set very hard throughout the day in order to make the best show possible for the fans and for us.

- Mike McCready

Some, Very, About, Changed

Mad Season changed my life in a million different ways.

- Mike McCready

My Life, Mad, Ways, Changed

I remember, after the New Year's Eve 1991 show, somebody running onto the bus and saying Nirvana had just hit No. 1. I remember thinking, 'Wow; it's on now.' It changed something. We had something to prove - that our band was as good as I thought it was.

- Mike McCready

Bus, I Remember, Prove, Changed

I'd love to have Jack White up. I think he's just a phenomenal guitar player. I'd love to see him play up close because he's got a killer voice, and he's a great lead player, too. That would be exciting to me.

- Mike McCready

Love, Voice, Play, Phenomenal

I hold Mad Season very fondly to my heart, and there's a lot of sadness in that, too.

- Mike McCready

Mad, Very, Lot, Season

As a band, we just don't tolerate any kind of abuse or intolerance of any kind of LGBT people by any kind of government.

- Mike McCready

Government, Kind, Abuse, Tolerate

Crohn's patients differentiate their diet. You know, what I can handle and tolerate, another person couldn't, and what they can, I can't.

- Mike McCready

Handle, Another, Patients, Tolerate

I have lived most my life with chronic inflammation and constant pain with immediate diarrhea.

- Mike McCready

Pain, My Life, Most, Chronic

Soundgarden are kind of the masters of writing songs that aren't pop cliches.

- Mike McCready

Kind, Songs, Pop, Cliches

I'm sober now and very happy.

- Mike McCready

Happy, Now, Very, Sober

We came out of a very provincial city that was not very supportive of music, and we had to do our own thing and flyer everywhere.

- Mike McCready

City, Supportive, Very, Provincial

I was reading an article with Stevie Ray Vaughan a long time ago, and the number '1959' stuck out to me for some reason. So I started searching those out as the band got more popular and I could actually afford one. And I found this one in Los Angeles. That's what introduced me to the whole world of 1959s.

- Mike McCready

Reason, Some, Searching, Article

I think about trying to make it better. That's all I do when we play 'Even Flow' or anything off of 'Ten': 'Let's do this the best we can.'

- Mike McCready

Play, Think, I Think, Flow

Recording 'Ten,' we probably did 'Even Flow' 30 times.

- Mike McCready

Recording, Times, Even, Flow

'Even Flow' is the best to play live because of the long solos. It starts out slow and builds, and, depending on what the audience does, I can reflect that in the solo.

- Mike McCready

Best, Play, Audience, Flow

That's what music has always been to me: a feel. I've listened to the Stones many times and it still makes me have that feeling of joy every time. They are still around and put on a really exciting show. We also give it 120 percent.

- Mike McCready

Feel, Show, Been, Every Time

I don't know if you could call me a natural-born runner.

- Mike McCready

Me, Call, Could, Runner

It's extremely important to have a loyal fan base and be receptive to them.

- Mike McCready

Important, Fan, Extremely, Fan Base

I really liked Stevie Ray Vaughn, so hey - I tried to look like him.

- Mike McCready

Like, Stevie, Ray, Hey

Until Mad Season, I didn't have that confidence to write songs, and I really got it, playing with these guys. It meant the world to me.

- Mike McCready

Confidence, Got, Meant, Season

I've always had this term 'mad season' in my head.

- Mike McCready

Mad, Head, Always, Season

Everything I know, I stole directly from Ace Frehley, Angus Young, and Keith Richards. That's how you learn.

- Mike McCready

Learn, Young, Ace, Stole

There was no support system in Seattle for musicians.

- Mike McCready

Support, Musicians, System, Seattle

There's a Kiss through-line to a lot of the music that came out of Seattle, and it hasn't been talked about a lot.

- Mike McCready

Been, Lot, Talked, Seattle

Chris Cornell painted in song the darkness and beauty of life in Seattle.

- Mike McCready

Beauty, Song, Chris, Seattle

Honestly, I'd rather do regular interviews. It's more interesting to talk about whatever... anything other than guitars. I'm not into being a tech-head.

- Mike McCready

Other, Rather, Honestly, Guitars

I've been denied coverage two times in my life - and it's after I've been in a big successful rock band. And I've a lot of met people who've been denied coverage who don't have the resources to fight the insurance companies. And they shouldn't have to do that.

- Mike McCready

Insurance, My Life, Big, Denied

There's Eddie's conviction and his lyrics and his ideals, and he can just rock straight out. His vocals are incredible. And we all are really competent musicians.

- Mike McCready

Incredible, Ideals, Vocals

You get some confidence in your songwriting abilities and go for the essentials - guitar, bass, drums, vocals. Those are the basic band essentials that have to be in place before you go any further.

- Mike McCready

Songwriting, Some, Before, Vocals

I love some kind of pressure in the air. Some kind of weirdness in the crowd, good or bad. That's what we thrive on.

- Mike McCready

Love, Bad, Some, Thrive

We're always working on our communication, which is something that's important. Instead of going through managers to discuss things, we will sit down and have meetings about things. That's a process. And you have to be able to be honest with each other as much as you can.

- Mike McCready

Through, Other, About, Discuss

Every Crohn's and colitis patient is different, and they all respond to different things. That's the craziest thing about it.

- Mike McCready

Patient, Craziest, About, Different Things

I love playing with Jeff. That's something I never really say in the press, but he's my favorite bass player. I've played right next to him for 10 years.

- Mike McCready

Love, Next, Jeff, Bass Player

Jeff Ament, the bass player, plays basketball. He ultimately wants to do music, but he's really good at basketball, too. We all want to do what we can't do, maybe.

- Mike McCready

Want, Maybe, Plays, Bass Player

When they're singing the guitar lines of songs in South America? Never heard that before. And in Canada, when they're singing all of the lyrics to every song - that blows me away. I don't know all the lyrics to every song.

- Mike McCready

Song, Singing, Away, Lyrics

Tom Petty sent me this amazing 12-string Rickenbacker, and 'Not for You' was the first time I used it. It was like a Christmas present. One day, it just showed up at my door. I called him up and thanked him.

- Mike McCready

Door, One Day, Used, Petty

We try to keep everything as in-house and small and as punk rock and do-it-yourself as we can. That's part of our way of doing business.

- Mike McCready

Business, Small, Doing, Do-It-Yourself

I would love for people to enjoy our music and have feelings from it. That's all I can hope for.

- Mike McCready

Love, Hope, Enjoy, Feelings

My favorite rocker is Go because it is heavy and chaotic.

- Mike McCready

Go, Because, Rocker, Chaotic

Playing albums in sequence can be awesome, or it can be very limiting.

- Mike McCready

Awesome, Sequence, Very, Limiting

I like 'X-Files'-type shows with government conspiracies and extraterrestrials and all that.

- Mike McCready

Government, Like, Shows, Extraterrestrial

At this point, because we have stayed the same course for so many years, I feel like we are freer to make choices that are motivated by what feels right creatively at a given point in time.

- Mike McCready

Feel, Feels, So Many Years, Freer

There are moments in South America, in Brazil, where you look out, and there are literally thirty, forty thousand people jumping up and down at the same time.

- Mike McCready

Brazil, Jumping, South, Up And Down

Polaroids were the instant thing to get a photo back when I started it. You had to wait two days to get your film back if you had a real camera, and I was more of an instant-gratification guy.

- Mike McCready

Wait, More, Photo, Camera

I think I bought into that whole rock n' roll lifestyle, and all that does in the end is kill ya. So I don't recommend it to anyone.

- Mike McCready

Think, I Think, Bought, In The End

I wanted to start doing more music, doing more things than just playing guitar. I started taking singing lessons and piano lessons. I need to learn more things, to be an artist or whatever, and then transfer that back into writing songs.

- Mike McCready

Doing, Artist, Back, Lessons

It's always push and pull with a record company.

- Mike McCready

Always, Pull, Record, Push

We want to push boundaries musically if we can and come at things from a different direction.

- Mike McCready

Boundaries, Want, Things, Push

I should never, ever try and grow a mustache again.

- Mike McCready

Grow, Never, Ever, Mustache

Other bands gave us lip service, but when it came down to it they kind of backed off. That was a little disheartening. But I respect them. That's their business.

- Mike McCready

Business, Kind, Other, Disheartening

We were accused of sounding like a couple of bands when we started out. Aerosmith was one.

- Mike McCready

Like, Couple, Were, Aerosmith

I'm surprised that we're around still. A lot of the bands that we came out with are not around.

- Mike McCready

Still, Lot, Came, Surprised

To be able to make a living doing what I love is truly a gift, and I'm thankful for that every day.

- Mike McCready

Love, Gift, Doing, Love Is

I hope we've lightened up over the years. We're fairly comfortable where we are, living-wise, and we're excited, honestly, just to still be around. I think we're less earnest than we were.

- Mike McCready

Think, Over, Still, Earnest

Crohn's doesn't define who you are. You are a human being; you are special and a great addition to society. Crohn's is just a part of your life. Try to be positive and proactive - therein lies the solution.

- Mike McCready

Human Being, Part, Therein, Proactive

When you're really young, dating girls, and trying to explain Kiss, they just look at you like you're kind of crazy. I think they got so big in the Seventies and were such a phenomenon - they did the 'Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park' movie, the solo records - some people only know the merchandising stuff.

- Mike McCready

Big, Some, Explain, Solo

I have had Crohn's for about 19 years. It is a debilitating disease that affects my colon.

- Mike McCready

Disease, About, Colon, Debilitating

My life would have been different without Paul Stanley or Ace Frehley. They would have to be the greatest on my list as an influence to my life at 11 years old.

- Mike McCready

My Life, Ace, Been, Paul

Reason why we've lasted so long is we write music; we get very intense. We go away from each other, do our own thing, and then we get back together.

- Mike McCready

Reason, Other, Very, Intense

A lot of times, bands will go on tour, and people only wanna hear the hits. Luckily, our fans are receptive to our new stuff.

- Mike McCready

New, Will, Go, Receptive

Some people are still not into us. That makes sense. We haven't really done a lot of press. We haven't put ourselves out there in ways that a lot of people would know we are still around. Unless you tour or record, they don't know you are around.

- Mike McCready

Some, Around, Ourselves, Press

It was by design that we mostly used pictures that you could not necessarily see what was going on, and that didn't really focus in on the band, but instead focused in on a theme.

- Mike McCready

Going, Could, Mostly, Theme

There's no time for regrets. You've just got to keep moving forward.

- Mike McCready

Regrets, Forward, No Time, Keep Moving Forward

We value doing things grassroots, even at this level. That means no real high ticket prices or meet-and-greets and all that kind of stuff.

- Mike McCready

Doing, Ticket, Means, Grassroots

Duff McKagen's been a dear friend of mind for a long time, and he's a Seattlelite.

- Mike McCready

Mind, Been, Dear Friend, Dear

I play 'Rock Band' with my friends' kids, and they completely beat me senseless with it. I feel like I'm holding them back. I try to play the drums, and I just can't play the drums. I think I need to work on my skills.

- Mike McCready

Play, I Think, Senseless, Rock Band

I honestly grew up listening to the Stones more. But that doesn't mean I don't love the Beatles.

- Mike McCready

Love, Listening, Honestly, Stones

I've met a ton of new people who have colitis or Crohn's. Talking to them has been probably the most healing thing: to hear other people's attitudes on how they deal with their disease and how they stay positive.

- Mike McCready

Deal, Other, Been, Met

There are some people who have stayed with us our whole career, which is pretty cool too.

- Mike McCready

Career, Some, Which, Some People

Playing music was something I wanted to do since I was 11 years old, so when we went on tour and started selling records, it was an incredible, strange dream.

- Mike McCready

Old, Incredible, Records, Tour

I think our relationship with Epic had run its natural course, and it happened to coincide with the fulfillment of our contract. We decided not to resign with them.

- Mike McCready

Think, Natural, I Think, Epic

I am constantly amazed at their support over the years.

- Mike McCready

I Am, Over, Am, Amazed

I'm amazed that people are even still wanting to listen to us.

- Mike McCready

Wanting, Still, Even, Amazed

My mind has always kind of operated with this band like it's gonna be over tomorrow.

- Mike McCready

Mind, Always, Over, Band

When you're in a band, you're just trying to do whatever you can to keep your band together. You're thinking very inwardly, very myopic.

- Mike McCready

Very, Your, Inwardly, Band

I'm born, and I die, but in between that, I can do whatever I want or have a strong opinion about something.

- Mike McCready

Strong, Die, Born, Opinion

But KISS inspired me personally to pick up a guitar and go for it.

- Mike McCready

Go For It, Personally, Pick, Guitar

Throughout my life of having Crohn's, I've been on and off prednisone when other stuff was not working.

- Mike McCready

My Life, Other, Been, On And Off

I love surprising the fans.

- Mike McCready

Love, Fans, I Love, Surprising

We can go to Australia and play to 30-to-40,000. We can do that in certain places in the States, but not everywhere.

- Mike McCready

Play, Places, Go, Everywhere

The older I get, the more I surf and do more stretches to get ready for the rock show.

- Mike McCready

Rock, More, Surf, Ready

That's a fantasy of mine. We could do every record in a residency. It would be so cool. We could play the B-sides along with the album and get really creative with it.

- Mike McCready

Play, Mine, Residency, Creative

And watching Ed, he's really coming into his own doing some new things onstage I've never seen him do. He's really getting into it, putting 120 percent into the show. We feel comfortable and excited.

- Mike McCready

New Things, Doing, Some, Onstage

Playing onstage, I'm always aware of where the bathrooms are. When Crohn's hits, I have to run, or it won't be pretty.

- Mike McCready

Run, Pretty, Always, Onstage

I don't ever want to play a festival again, period.

- Mike McCready

Play, Ever, Period, Festival

I like to have a lot of different creative outlets.

- Mike McCready

Different, Like, Lot, Outlets

Am I really an author if I just put pictures in a book?

- Mike McCready

Book, Author, Am, Pictures

Actors want to be musicians, and musicians want to be baseball players.

- Mike McCready

Players, Baseball Players, Baseball

It's always cool when somebody from a football team or baseball team comes to your show.

- Mike McCready

Cool, Always, Football Team, Baseball

There's times when I go, 'We should have done a bunch of videos.'...Regardless of mistakes we've made, we made 'em, and we own 'em.

- Mike McCready

Own, Go, Made, Bunch

I feel very blessed we can still have a career making music.

- Mike McCready

Career, Very, Still, Blessed

When we did our first record, my mindset was this is all going to be over tomorrow.

- Mike McCready

Over, Going, Record, Mindset

People will steal ideas and put them into songs.

- Mike McCready

Ideas, Will, Songs, Steal

Life is a pre-existing condition.

- Mike McCready

Life, Life Is A, Condition

We have a ridiculous amount of material.

- Mike McCready

Amount, Material, Ridiculous

There's this idea that, 'All I have at the end of the day is my mind.' That's the only thing you can control. I believe that.

- Mike McCready

Mind, Idea, I Believe That, The Only Thing

A song kind of comes out of anywhere. A song will come out of the sky, or an idea, or walking around, or playing with other guys.

- Mike McCready

Sky, Song, Other, Anywhere

It's hard enough just staying in the present. I can't tell you what's going to happen tomorrow.

- Mike McCready

Happen, Going, Staying, Tomorrow

To just meet people that have Crohn's or colitis and to hear their stories gives me a lot of hope and a lot of courage.

- Mike McCready

Hope, People, Stories, Courage

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