Surprise -

Surprise was an American symphonic/art-rock band from the St. Louis area that released the 1977 album Assault on Merryland through self-press Carousel Records.

Members: Rick Bess (electric guitar, bass, twelve-string acoustic guitar), Blair Blake (Hammond organ, grand piano, MiniMoog, Moog Taurus bass pedals, ARP string ensemble, celeste), Dave Kelly (drums, timpani, orchestra bells, gongs, triangle, guiro), Mark Biehl (vocals, flute, trumpet, piccolo)

Background

Surprise sprung from Blyzzard, a mid-Seventies quartet with keyboardist Blair Blake, guitarist Rick Bess, and drummer Dave Kelly. Bassist Jack Poole completed the earlier group, which spent two years seeking national bookings and secured agency representation for a planned tour across the country.

Singer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Biehl completed Surprise, whose members came from small southern Illinois towns. The quartet followed album-oriented programming on St. Louis station KSHE and watched regional groups at nightclubs converted from agricultural buildings.

Blake and Bess developed a fantasy narrative for an album-length work. Surprise financed one week of studio time and arranged an independent pressing through Carousel Records.

Assault on Merryland

Surprise released their singular album, Assault on Merryland, on September 1, 1977, through Carousel Records.

Bess composed all music, while Blake wrote the lyrics and accompanying story from their joint fantasy concept. The LP links “Eve of the Assault” with “Merryland” at the opening and joins “The Wonderful Sunshiner” to “Grand Finale” at the album close. Blake expands the keyboard setting with Taurus pedals, ARP strings, and celeste, while Biehl alternates lead singing with flute, trumpet, and piccolo.

“Eve of the Assault / Merryland” unfurls through carnival effects, flowing piano, bright synthesizer, an expansive electric figure, acoustic passages, and frequent section turns. “The Acrobat Between the Stars” careens over off-kilter accents, a broad electronic riff, dense fills, acoustic passages, and a birdlike flute interlude. “Palace of King Ferris” glides past nocturnal insect effects and acoustic figures toward a pastoral closing ensemble.

“Tyrangatang” stomps through a springy heavy riff, echo-laced singing, organ swells, and a fierce solo. “Dance the Tarantella” coils from gravel footsteps through eastern-tinged lines, swirling keyboards, heavy riffing, and harmonic group replies. “Tournament of Love” blooms from a firm riff into a calmer ensemble, broad group harmony, and a heavier instrumental break.

“March of the Squatamaudars” quickens from a heavy riff into an uptempo electronic line, with triangle and lead breaks. “A Day Without Light” lingers on chimes, acoustic figures, plaintive singing, and a ringing 12-string solo. “The Wonderful Sunshiner / Grand Finale” pivots from gentle acoustic figures into changing meters, hard riffing, and a fast closing coda.

A1. “Eve of the Assault” (0:50)
A2. “Merryland” (6:51)
A3. “The Acrobat Between the Stars” (6:13)
A4. “Palace of King Ferris” (3:31)
A5. “Tyrangatang” (5:32)

B1. “Dance the Tarantella” (3:39)
B2. “Tournament of Love” (4:30)
B3. “March of the Squatamaudars” (2:39)
B4. “A Day Without Light” (4:55)
B5. “The Wonderful Sunshiner” (5:31)
B6. “Grand Finale” (1:20)

Before the September 1977 release, Surprise spent one week at Technisonic Studios in Clayton, Missouri, where Technisonic engineer Bill Schulenberg co-produced the album and Chuck Sabatino assisted and coached Biehl. Chuck Berry ’75 later included March 1973 sessions from the facility.

Southern Illinois-trained artist Phil Timper illustrated the cover as a dense fantasy tableau of oversized insects, mushrooms, stone passages, miniature figures, and multicolored paths. Concert photographer Duncan Blake, whose archive covers 1970s appearances by Rush and Renaissance, supplied the band portrait. The original pressing included Blake’s narrative booklet.

Zarathustra Progressive Recordings reissued the album on CD in 1995 as the first and only title on that imprint. Label founder Geoff Logsdon served as executive producer; Benny Quinn remastered the restored tapes at Masterfonics, and Biehl remixed “Tyrangatang” for a bonus track. In October 2023, Carousel placed the album on streaming services.

Discography: