Why I don't just dry it out beforehand is, drying changes the flavor by evaporating the topping
That is a sound point against drying. Since a lot of blends are probably topped to some degree that we don't even know about, lighting and then letting sit seems to be a good course of action. Like you said though, too much fuss puts me off. I usually want to smoke when I want to (and can) smoke, and planning ahead doesn't always sound appealing.
All that said, I've personally never had a problem with the McClelland I've smoked. I haven't opened any of my Dark Star yet, though.