Pipes by Samuel

Puzzle explanation

The puzzle marked the 40th anniversary of the album Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield, used as a “theme from The Exorcist” (the message from down clues). The initial grid (shown here) represented a tube or pipe, with across answers “wrapping” from the right edge to the left. Thematic entries were bells or associated words. The instruction from across clues was “rotate every row”. An alternative final arrangement with the name and title in columns 4 and 9 was ruled out because it kept row 6 in its original position.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

Letters not moved Answer Explanation
Across
  GONG GON + G
  CROTAL C + (fai)L after ROTA
18 = R PRUINOSE RUIN in POSE
  BIG BEN GB in BIEN
41 = O MERCKX MERC + K + X
20 = T TUT TUT(u)
27 = A OF YORE FOO(l)ERY *
20 = T LIAR L + (t)IAR(a)
5 = E CLOSURE (SO + CRUEL) *
31 = E TEASELED TEAS + E(vi)L + ED
22 = V FARRIERS F(lee) + BARRIERS − B
31 = E FLAT LAT after F
18 = R OBOISTS (SIT + BOO) * + S
18 = R OWN GOWN − G
25 = Y PTERIA PTE + RIA
41 = O MEINIE MEIN + IE
  LUTINE LUSTINESS − S − SS
23 = W ENSNARLS EARLS around (NS + N)
  PEAL APPEAL − (A + P)
  VESPER VESPA − A + ER
Down
  GIED GIELGUD − (LG + U(rn))
  ONRUSH SAURON * − A + H(obbit)
  NOCTULE (k)NOC(k) + (tar)T + ULE
  TEXTER TEETER with X for second E
  REIFIED REI(n) + FIE + D(octor)
  ORGY (p)ORGY
  TABOR (ROB + A + T) *
  A-PER-SE ASPERSE − first S
  MUMBLERS FUMBLERS with M for F
  U-BOLT U. BOLT; ref Usain Bolt
  CLATTERS C + LATTER + S; “clash” and “clatters” both Scottish words for “gossip”
  TRAINEE RAIN in TEE
  AGONISE GO in ANISE
  RETUSE RET + USE
  STAËL S(chool) + LATE *
  DOOMED DOMED around O
  SIENNA I in SENNA
  FÊTES FETTES − T(erm)
  RISP R(um) + ISP
  VIAL A(bsinthe) in VIL
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