Muller Music Meta, January 2016

puzzle — untimed; meta — 2 minutes (Matt) 

 

Music Services (open)

Season 5, Episode 1 of the Muller Music Meta is here, so let’s get to it. For the inaugural puzzle of this year, our title is “Music Services” and we’re looking for a hit album from 1973. The five longest entries in the grid are:

16-A [Hozier smash hit of 2013] = TAKE ME TO CHURCH. Good song.

29-A [Iron Maiden single whose cover art featured a controversial cartoon of Maggie Thatcher being stabbed] = SANCTUARY. I might remember this one.

36-A [#14 on Rolling Stone’s list of greatest albums of all time] = ABBEY ROAD.

46-A [Trippy CSN song with the line “Now I’m standing on the grave of a soldier that died in 1799”] = CATHEDRAL. Don’t think I know it.

60-A [Self-titled and only album from Chris Cornell’s band after Soundgarden] = TEMPLE OF THE DOG.

CHURCH, SANCTUARY, ABBEY, CATHEDRAL, and TEMPLE? Gotta be Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy. found by 300+ solvers just before deadline.

Nice easy opener to the year, with four big corners shouldering the five theme entries nicely. I liked ECUADOR and SENEGAL, symmetrical — oh, wait, the symmetrical CHAPEL / OF LOVE is in fact a sixth theme entry. This guy is sneaky. 4.05 stars.

As I bring up frequently, I went 13-for-13 on Season 4 of the Muller Meta and plan to do it again this year. Anyone else want to point to the upper deck for 2016? Talk a big game in comments! “It’s not bragging if you’ve done it.”

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6 Responses to Muller Music Meta, January 2016

  1. Pete Muller says:

    Thanks Matt

    302 correct answers this week – a new MMMM record. I think it could be broken next month, though.

    And I plan on stumping you this year. At least once!

    Pete

  2. Pete Muller says:

    make that 306 correct…found a few submissions with obvious typos

  3. JeffG. says:

    Excellent way to start the year! Chapel of love split symmetrically was a nice touch. Looking forward to more. Thanks Pete!

  4. makfan says:

    Thanks for being gentle for my first attempt at the MMMM. I’m looking forward to the future puzzles.

  5. Pete Muller says:

    Me too!

    Next month (and the one after) will be pretty gentle…

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