If by standard cut blades, you mean ones that don't have reverse teeth, like a skip tooth, then yes. There are still uses for them. Skip tooth blades have larger gaps between the teeth, which allows better chip clearance. These work well for compound cutting where the material is thicker. Reverse tooth blades tend to pack the sawdust in the kerf and build up heat. This slows the cutting process and dulls the blades faster. That's one application for non-reverse tooth blades, anyway. I'm sure there are more.
I don't use spirals often. They do have a learning curve and take some getting used to, especially if you are used to straight blades. Newer designs seem to be easier to use than old ones. I think the new style Flying Dutchman are a big improvement in ease of use.
