Labyrinth Lord

Labyrinth Lord games.
A few years ago I had considered running my home brew setting using basic D&D. I had decided this because I had grown disillusioned with the complexity and rules bloat of 3e and the constant debate over interpretation of those rules. The problem was that I am very protective of my old BECMI boxed sets and would have had a hard time dealing with my beloved books being handled by anyone. I drifted to Castles and Crusades and then Hack Master basic but neither of these systems captured the feel I was looking for.

Then I found Labyrinth Lord and I have to say that it is exactly what I was looking for. I have ran only a few games but have found that the lack of rules have inspired or forced the players involved to role play more and that so far the players seem for involved with their characters. Is it possible that the plethora of rules in the newer editions were somehow counter productive to role playing? I am beginning to feel that all the skill lists feats and powers were a crutch that players and GMs leaned on to avoid using imagination. I know that I am guilty of doing just that.