The “absurd” 1969 song that changed John Lydon’s life: “It’s just insanely entertaining”
John Lydon says Captain Beefheart’s “Moonlight on Vermont” changed how he thought about music. The Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd frontman was struck by its absurd humour and unconventional structure, which helped open him to more experimental sounds.
The track appeared on Beefheart’s 1969 double album *Trout Mask Replica*. Lydon has said Beefheart’s influence carried into his work: the Sex Pistols’ “New York” drew on Beefheart’s “Japan in a Dishpan”, and Lydon later toured with former Beefheart drummer Robert Williams. He has described the album as entertaining and as music that expanded his sense of what was possible.
- “Moonlight on Vermont” shifted Lydon’s ideas about music.
- Beefheart’s surreal style influenced Lydon’s later work.
- *Trout Mask Replica* remains a favourite for its experimentation.
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Captain Beefheart was the stage name of American musician Don Van Vliet, whose band made experimental blues and rock. Their 1969 double album Trout Mask Replica brought together songs with unusual rhythms, structures and lyrics, departing from the familiar patterns of much popular music.
John Lydon became known as the singer of the Sex Pistols and later Public Image Ltd, two influential British bands. His interest in Beefheart’s music also connected with his own work: he has cited a Beefheart song as an influence on the Sex Pistols’ “New York” and later toured with former Beefheart drummer Robert Williams.