No 13100, Monday 23 Nov 2020, Arden

Solution to 7D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance. 

ACROSS

1   Magazine a failure, it’s ticking along (4,4) TIME BOMB {TIME}{BOMB}

5   It is part of a music review, still... (6) STATIC {C{IT}ATS}<= It should have been 'musical'

10 ... As moving cranes pick one (7) ARSENIC {ARSEN{1}C*}

11 State tax, I’m able to follow (7) VATICAN {VAT}{I CAN}

12 Alphonso, perhaps he is game (5) MANGO {MAN}{GO}

13 He makes things difficult for people in the hills (9) TORMENTOR {TOR}{MEN}{TOR}

14 Have no hope of converting to fresh water (4,3,5) FEAR THE WORST*

18 Made a crucial adjustment to optical device (6,6) CAMERA LUCIDA*

21 First pay a rent — promising 50% side by side (4,5) PARI PASSU {Pay}{A}{RIP}{ASSUring}

23 A fighter’s only friend (5) AMIGO {A}{MIG}{O}

24 Auden or other bards’ work (7) RONDEAU*

25 Great assembly, like to make people disperse with this (4,3) TEAR GAS {GREAT}*{AS}

26 Turn over, hard to kiss someone with a frozen smile (6) SPHINX {SP{H}IN}{X}

27 Yes, it’s dirty and it’s genuine (4-4) TRUE-BLUE {TRUE}{BLUE}

DOWN

1   Summarisation leads to mission in distress (6) TRAUMA {TRAUMA+MISSION = SUMMARISATION} [CA]

2   Thinking America will stop China (6) MUSING {M{US}ING}

3   An old criminal drowning in booze, can take in many rounds (9) BANDOLIER {B{AN+OLD}*IER} (Correction - {B{AN+OLD}*EER} - See comments)

4   Make fun, or let us put out this on the menu (4,6,4) MOCK TURTLE SOUP {MOCK}{OR+LET+US+PUT}* 

6   The thing comes in for tax (5) TITHE {T{IT}HE}

7   One’s implicated in law, successively withdrawn (8) T?C?T?R?  (Addendum - TACITURN {AC{1}T} in {TURN} - See comments)

8   It could be cast, cast initially on an island (8) CONCRETE {Cast}{ON}{CRETE}

9   Close the balance for drugs without prescription (4-3-7) OVER-THE-COUNTER {OVER}{THE}{COUNTER}

15 May be a run before a wash — one’s fully aware (4,5) WIDE AWAKE {WIDE}{A}{WAKE}

16 Doctor respects symbols of power (8) SCEPTRES*

17 Herb in India, ageless until the end (8) AMARANTH {AMAR}{ANTH}

19 Keeping watch over writing of a Roman bard (6) VIRGIL {VI{R}GIL}

20 Navigation aid called, could be part of the last course (6) MOUSSE (~mouse)

22 Clean and tidy central area in prison (5) PREEN {P{aREa}EN}

Reference List

Only = O, Hard = H, Kiss = X, Ageless in Hindi = AMAR, he end in Hindi = ANTH, Writing = R