Yeah, I remember when the best Lego "sets" were just the big buckets of Legos. I don't think you can even buy those in stores anymore.
A big problem is that now, in just about every set, there are so many of the huge, specially-formed, only-good-for-one-thing pieces that it really discourages creative thinking/ability.
The sets are still cool and fun, don't get me wrong, but it's just not the same.