Aside from me writing about the b-sides, I am pretty sure I have stated (many times) before that Muse reminds me of Radiohead in many aspects and that I'm not that interested in much after BH&R.
I have been a fan for over 6 years now and, having met a shitload of Muse fans (many more than U2 fans sadly) in real and virtual life, I haven't come across ANY hard-die fan that prefer the post-2006 stuff to their most recent work. I think there is a general consensus that their 4 first albums are top notch, and they've gone a bit downhill afterwards. And STILL their "downhill" is fucking miles better than most current bands' best works.
I think BH&R was definitely a sign of things to come but it works on many levels for me. They just kept going with it for the next two albums which was simply a bit too much.
I'm fan since 2006. Some time before that my friend borrowed me Absolution, and I found interesting mix of songs almost clasical music and metal songs. But long time I had problem with Matts voice so I didn't pay much attention. But they got me when Knights of Cydonia came out... That was song I was realy hooked by and started to be fan. I prefer their harder stuff so Starlight, Explorer or Guiding Lights are not really my favourites lol
And yeah, the Muse - Radiohead connection has been discussed plenty of times. There are Radiohead songs that sound like Muse (I swear I once heard Just without paying much attention and I thought it was an outtake from pre-2000 Muse), and songs off Showbiz that sound like something by Thom York and his boys. There are undeniable RH influences in Muse's first works, and their careers & musical evolution have followed somewhat similar patterns.
Muse to me is like an addiction that comes in phases. When I'm in the mood for Muse, I won't stand to listen to anything else except Muse. But I generally can't find myself listening to most of their work on a regular basis. Comparing Muse to U2, I'm almost always in the mood for U2, but I'm rarely in the mood for Muse. the one notable exception for me is Butterflies and Hurricanes, which I consider to be their greatest masterpiece. Also, Supremacy is pretty good because I enjoy feeling like James Bond.