I agree with the 'hungry' point, but the fact the author had the final say's not restricted to the 80's and indeed in many cases three of them [i]were[/i] 'session musicians' for the creator, not only in the 70's and not only in the 80's. It depended on the song.

So, the minor quality of their 80's output is due to a change in their priorities, not the creative dynamics. Except perhaps for Freddie taking less time to be involved in the production ([i]One Vision[/i]'s a clear exception), as opposed to the early days when he was reportedly rarely away from the console.