1. Souls Married to the Wind (03:41)
2. Stories (01:57)
3. Black Train (08:34)
4. Mrs Virgin (04:30)
5. Frank Supper (02:24)
6. Scarlet Horses (06:25)
7. It's a Pity (03:02)
8. Thought (05:57)
9. Paradise (08:32)
10. Party Bird (02:16)
11. Veronique (03:02)

- Lothar Siems - guitar & vocals
- Walter Quintus - violin, piano & organ
- Thomas Olivier - drums & vocals
- Walter von Seydlitz - cello
- Matthias Müller-Menckens - flute, piano & organ
- Harald Konietzko - bass & vocals

With their second (and unfortunately last) album, Parzival is scoring a perfect pair that not even countrywoman Claudia's would never even reach to that level. The group has expanded to a quintet and even a sextet by now and this clearly let more freedom to Walter Quintus to switch from strings to keys. Again this album is produced by professional giant Conny Plank.

Again oddly enough, the CD album starts with a bonus track (the B-side from same single as on the first album CD version) but clearly the track is not quite as superb even if it has choir in it. The overall feeling of the album is clearly more towards a rockier sound, as experienced on the short Celtic track stories. Lenghty track Black Train reaches more in psych and prog moods and it has some astounding moments reminding you of a cross of ELO and The Trees (yes, that good;-) and finding its end only in chaos. Following Mrs Virgin has singing between family's Chapman and VDGG's Hammill. The album's title is an apt one because the mood is definitely more baroque in here as can be seen by the strange (and slightly gothic but orgiastic) Frank Supper, but another peak is reached with the uncanny Scarlet Horses which contrast starkly with the previous two tracks yet has you begging for it not to end. Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, the very aptly-titled It's A Pity, is just that (well not that bad, either but the pun was worth it;-), quickly offset with another superb track Thought, built in its start a bit like Eleanor Rigby, but quickly building into a wild flute jam before suddenly jumping into a slow but delightful Ritournelle and off to a devilishly fast ending: flabbergasting!!!! The lenghty Paradise is yet another outstanding moment and would be THE highlight on almost any other album from some other group, but here it is just another track. When abundance is a problem.. lol

The two bonus demo tracks (this time from 70) compared to the first album's bonus tracks are much more in phase with the album they are included in, and are of great added value and do almost not have that demo edge.

Overall this second album is not quite as perfect as the debut, but maybe more inventive and certainly just as essential. In its craziness, this might only be topped by Comus, Jan Dukes De Grey and the superb debut of Tea & Symphony's Asylum For The Musically Insane. Another must in the realm of Folk Prog. ---Sean Trane, progarchives.com

Parzival. German folky prog band from the early 70's emphasizing guitar, violin, and flute. The music they created between them was an unusual combination of German folk, classical and medieval music with a rich instrumentation and rock aestethics. Violin, viola, cello and flute are used as well as typical rock instrumetation (organ, guitars, etc.).

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1 	One Day 	
2 	Marshy Legend 	
3 	Resignation 	
4 	8 Years Later 	
5 	Senseless No. 6 	
6 	Wall Bungalow 	
7 	Empty Land 	
8 	Groove Inside 	
9 	Change Your Mind 	
10 	Sarah Girl

- Lothar Siems - guitar & vocals
- Walter Quintus - violin, bass, organ & piano
- Thomas Olivier - drums, vocals & percussion
- Matthias Müller-Menckens - flute & piano
- Joachim Reichhold - cello
- Hans Jaspers – viola

This album combines the use of plenty traditional, acoustic instruments (violin,viola, flute) in a deeply middle age atmosphere. It isn't acid /psych folk music as the compositions offered by other germans as Emtidi, Carol Of Harvest but it is very closed to Ougenweide and their Pagan, traditional folk. The result can (mentaly) lead you to have the feeling that you go back to the past. Each track of the album has its very special mood, sometimes written in a plaintive tone (the delicious Wall Bungalow accompagned fo the piano, the pastoral song Empty land), epic (Marshy legend), dark & melodic. Despite that the instrumentation is essentialy acoustic and the "roots" are in traditionnal folk music, a few rock ingredients are mixed with the ensemble, creating original musical sequences and progressive harmonies. This album is not at all basic folk music and really defines what prog folk is. Moreover it is made in a very emotional mood, the musical qualities are always present in favor of fixing the attention of the listener. A deep musical journey in the past! It can easily be conceived as the legendary adentures of Parzival put into music! --- philippe, progarchives.com

Das Album "Legend" der norddeutschen Formation Parzival bietet eine gefällige Mixtur aus frühem Progressive Rock und herkömmlichem Folkrock. Der Opener "One Day" entwickelt sich nach eher verklärtem Beginn zu einer fröhlichen Nummer und versprüht das positive Flower Power Feeling der 60er Jahre, wobei hier aber schon markantes Geigenspiel das Ganze stilistisch über die allgemeine "Lagerfeuerromantik" hebt. "Marshy Legend" wartet dann mit romantischem Flötenspiel auf und setzt den Stil des anspruchsvoll arrangierten Folkrocks fort, der hier eine gewisse Ähnlichkeit mit dem Debüt der Briten Gryphon offenbart.

Ein Song wie "8 Years Later" tendiert dann erstmalig eindeutig in komplexere Gefilde und wird von einer ausgefeilten Rhythmik geprägt. Perfektes Zusammenspiel von Flöte und Geige hieven diesen Titel in symphonische Höhen. Zum Ende gewinnt diese Nummer sogar noch an Dramatik und klingt beinahe schon in bombastischer Manier aus.

"Senseless No. 6" ist dann vom Grundkonzept her ein eingängiger Song, der den Vietnamkrieg anprangert. Dieser mittlerweile doch etwas abgedroschene Protestcharakter des Songs ist aber in extravagante Arrangements eingebettet, die sich völlig von dem vordergründigen Refrain abheben. So besitzt das extravagante Flötenspiel hier bisweilen gar ein fast schon jazziges Gepräge.

Nach dem von perlenden Klavierspiel und beschaulichen Flötentönen bestimmten "Wall Bungalow" führt dann "Empty Land" in fast schon bizarre Klanglandschaften und entwickelt im weiteren Verlauf einen psychedelischen Charakter, der sich dann im abschließenden Song "Groove Inside" noch verstärkt. Stellenweise blitzen auch ganz moderate fernöstliche Einflüsse hervor. Diesbezüglich sei auf die Percussion verweisen. Fortwährende Wiederholungen und fast schon manisches Flötenspiel verleihen diesem Titel einen höchst hypnotischen Charakter, der in dieser Art und Weise eigentlich eher von den deutschen Pionieren im Bereich der elektronischen Musik zu erwarten war. Diese akustische Erzeugung fremd anmutender Soundlandschaften bzw. Klangcollagen erzielt aber ebenso ihre Wirkung und das herkömmliche Songschema wird kompromisslos abgestreift. Diese stellt einen überaus interessanten und kaum zu erwartenden Ausflug in tranceähnliche Gefilde dar. Sicherlich waren hier aber auch gewisse bewusstseinserweiternde Substanzen im Spiel. Hierfür spricht auch der kleine Gimmick am Ende, wo man einen hierzu gar nicht passendes Gesangsintermezzo in extrem sächsisch eingefärbtem Deutsch-Englisch hört. ---Horst Straske, babyblaue-seiten.de

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