I’m a big fan of the themed midis that Trent H. Evans has done for Crossword Club. They’re always so clever and tidy. This is an attempt to pay homage. (Trent’s own website is here, though it appears he hasn’t posted there in several months.)
Great fun! I really liked the clue on 7D, the sportsy feel, and the long fill. It was good to see 36A. I listened to that album again a few months ago after 30 years or so, and I revised my opinion upward. I’m still put off by Ian Anderson’s flute playing, but the songs are well crafted. 36A led me to the smaller of the two difficulties I had in solving: with the letter in box 41, I spent far too long realizing that the clue for 41D was a misdirect of sorts. My major issue was that I put “BOT” in 1D then had the darnedest time filling the NW until I realized my mistake. Part of the problem is I’d never heard of the band in 1A. Anyway, another smooth, well-clued puzzle!
Thanks, Jeff! Yes, 41D was definitely a misdirect. When clueing universities recently, I feel as though I’ve leaned heavily on mascots, so I went in another direction this time. One of my brothers was a Jethro Tull completist, so I heard a lot of it growing up (Aqualung was my favorite of the albums). The athlete mentioned in 7D had one of the memorably endearing story lines of the 2024 Olympics, so I was happy to point the clue in his direction.
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