“Sour Smoke” by Comets On Fire which clocks in at 8:47.

Or, an alternate history of the widespread phenomenon known as “guitar face” (based on pure speculation and gross oversimplification).

We all know it….that contorted exaggeration of facial features suggesting anguish, pain, catharsis, existential grief, or - alternately - such devilish bliss some might mistake it for a sign of carnal satisfaction (link pretty much NSFW).

Guitar Face. And isn’t such ambiguity of meaning its entire purpose? The squinted eyes and pursed lips, sweaty recoiling and faux-obliviousness of it all makes us wonder whether it’s a pose struck in pain, pleasure or some twisted combo of the two.

What we do know is that it is rock music personified: both mysterious and a slightly creepy. The sheer ubiquity of guitar face, and particularly that of its signature manifestation in a pose we like to refer to as “Sour Smoke” (picture the face you’d make if you’ve just parked a handful of Sour Patch Kids in your cheek whilst shotgunning a skunked beer), prompts so many questions and potential explanations……

Q: Is it necessary to pucker your face like that in order to will a particular note from the neck of your guitar?

Q: Or perhaps a roving band of famished crabs - charitably donated from last night’s post-show encounter (cough cough John Mayer)- have taken root in your nether regions just as it’s time to belt a solo?

Q: Maybe you’re allergic to lightning-fast guitar lines and feel a sneeze coming on just as the spotlight shines on you?

Answer Key: no, I hope not, and doubtful.

So what gives? Where did “Sour Smoke” come from and how has it achieved rock domination? Glad you asked because, well, we of course have our own theory….

Exhibit A: Pablo Picasso’s 1903 painting The Old Guitarist

We cropped a portion of Old Guitarist here to focus on the facial expression of said axe-slinger, source photo found HERE

Notice the facial expression here. So glum. The old guitarist may not necessarily be pulling what we’ve come to identify as guitar face, but there’s no doubt he is in fact setting a precedent for the emotive response to playing guitar. His shoulders are slung low, his eyes closed and withdrawn; he’s literally giving himself over to the guitar. Picasso painted this masterpiece during his “Blue Period” (1901-1904). Blue…..as in, the Blues! Not coincidentally, the next place where we find guitar face.

Exhibit B: The Blues

image found HERE

Behold B.B. King, aka the master of “Sour Smoke”. Let’s take a leap of faith and identify the blues as the aural equivalent of Picasso’s “Blue Period”. King must have been inspired by the Old Guitarist’s complete lack of inhibitions in surrendering himself to his guitar; he went on to make quite the career of doing the same thing. To play the blues, to really play it, you have to feel the blues. In King’s crinkled visage and pained poses, he was genuinely living “Sour Smoke” with no pretense or artifice.

Exhibit C: Guitar Face Enters the Public Consciousness

Eric Clapton, pic found HERE

Of course, we all know what happened in the 1950s and 60s. White musicians drew endless inspiration from the honesty and raw power of R&B and blues and appropriated many of their aesthetics into the burgeoning genre of rock music. In addition to shoplifting rhythms, progressions and lyrics, you can plainly see that some also copped facial expressions. “Sour Smoke”, welcome to the mainstream….

Jimmy Page, pic found HERE

Brian May, pic found HERE

From the 70s right on into the 80s….

Eddie Van Halen, pic found HERE

…to the point of pop culture ubiquity….

Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly in Back to the Future, pic found HERE

Exhibit D: “Sour Smoke” in Today’s Society

And naturally, as subtlety and tastefulness give way to vulgar parody with each passing generation, we are subjected to the latest generation of “Sour Smoke” impostors, whose only emotional investment in the solo they’re ripping is tied to the amount of t-shirts being moved at the merch table. John Mayer’s already admitted to stealing grooming tips from Michael J. Fox, wouldn’t it then make sense that he derived his shitty blues-lite music and accompanying faux-“Sour Smoke” mug from Fox’s most famous onscreen persona?

From Picasso to the blues to the blues-being-ripped-off to 80s blockbusters to Mayer….whew. Of course, this is just one theory about the origin of guitar face in general and “Sour Smoke” in particular. As for competing explanations, I suppose the comic up top works as well as any….

Top photo from Cyanide and Happiness comic found HERE

Buy Avatar HERE.

EAR FARM’s 8+ is a weekly feature that showcases songs longer than 8 minutes. Click HERE to see the songs recently featured in EF’s 8+.