I rode it on its opening year, and a few times after that, including post-loop. It was just a very forgettable coaster for me. It was indeed rough at some points, but I really can't remember much else about it, and I know that doesn't make sense. I actually remember my two rides on Skylab better than on my several of Son of Beast.
I actually think that one of SoB's biggest problems was its queue. The way they recycled part of Top Gun's queue just seemed so half-baked to me. If you think about it, the most enduring rides all have interesting queues, and do a great job of setting the stage for the ride.
Something about the ride's placement always just seemed a little odd, and when waiting in line, I almost felt like I wasn't at Kings Island any more. The ride just had a strange vibe for me, long before its very public "issues" started to occur.