Massive attack certainly lost something after Protection and has Paul has quite rightly stated its the soulful side of their sound which I think gave them more edge and appeal to different tastes. I think Mushroom leaving the group may have had something to do with it. Blue Lines is an outstanding record I remember being blown away the first time I heard Unfinished Sympathy played real loud in a club. It remains IMHO the greatest UK hip hop album of all time. As artists I'm not against them experimenting, the dub version of Protection with the Mad Professor was great, but I can't help feeling they've disappeared up their own arses a bit musically. I've read that Del Naja wants to be more involved in movie soundtracks and I can see their more recent output fitting that bill.
I remember Daddy G working in a record shop in Bristol many moons ago! In fact he was still behind the counter even after they got in the charts. Nice fella.