I hear so much better when I'm not listening

Known this for awhile (as concerns me) but wondered if others do this. Was just listening to one of mixes, my mind wandered to other things (but still listening out of the corner of my mind (is there a song there?)) and I actually heard the song objectively. It was a part of the song I'm very critical of. But by having no preconceived notions or expectations, not listening while still aware of the song, I thought to myself, that part of the song is OK. Other times, a part that I think is fine, I will think needs to be changed. I listen best, at times I think, while in this state of mind. It would be nice to enter this state at will but it only comes at various times. Guess it's the old story, just too close to the project. Anyone else experienced this state of mind?

I hear better when I don't look at the screen.    Honestly, I find that turning it off sometimes and just listening seems to give me more objective results.  I do the walk around the room and outside of the room thing as well.

You can also experience the same effect by pulling up an old song you haven't listened to in a long time.
 
My problem is whenever I do that I hear new flaws and want to dust off that old project and fix it up. Consequently, I never really finish a song - I just get bored with it.

Yeah, it's very important to change your frame of mind every so often while you're assessing your mixes. I often put things on my iPod and go out for a walk for twenty minutes or so. That's no good for analytical mix engineer type listening, of course, but that's the point. You go an experience it like a regular listener, outside of a studio context.
 
As well as it helping you stop obsessing over details that don't matter, it's amazing what previously unnoticed flaws will leap out at you.

chasmcg
Known this for awhile (as concerns me) but wondered if others do this. Was just listening to one of mixes, my mind wandered to other things (but still listening out of the corner of my mind (is there a song there?)) and I actually heard the song objectively. It was a part of the song I'm very critical of. But by having no preconceived notions or expectations, not listening while still aware of the song, I thought to myself, that part of the song is OK. Other times, a part that I think is fine, I will think needs to be changed. I listen best, at times I think, while in this state of mind. It would be nice to enter this state at will but it only comes at various times. Guess it's the old story, just too close to the project. Anyone else experienced this state of mind?

I don't do what you do simply because I can't. It's good you can put yourself in that realm bro...it means you're not too far gone yet like me. What I mean is...part of you is ruined for life because you got into the engineering field to some degree. That means, you don't listen to music like an everyday listener. They don't hear the things you listen for because they haven't been taught what to listen for.
 
The gifts we have are both blessings and curses. I try as hard as I can to shut this part of me down so I can just listen to music like a normal person. But try as I may, the engineer in me comes creeping in. I used to have to listen to something 3 times. Once as an engineer, once as a musician, once as a music lover. Now I can do it all in one listen, but the engineer in me always seems to jump out of the cage.
 
There were times I couldn't listen to something because the production was so bad...or a drum kit was terrible, or vocals sounded like the singer gargled with razor blades. Prime example, I love the Beatles but it annoys me that some of the drums are panned to one side. So much so, I have a hard time listening to songs like that. Though it's cool, it bothers me...what can I say? So I usually listen to songs like that in mono. LOL!
 
I hate mono effects....I hate noise/hiss, I hate over-saturation, I'm not down with some of the 60's guitar tones, I hate drums that sound like you're punching cardboard boxes and putting verb on them, I hate any bass that sounds like Mccartney's (you know, that dead string, lack of pristine "ting" and sustain?)....stuff like this affects my listening really bad. So much so, I can lose out on enjoying certain songs.
 
It's rare for me to listen to music out of the corner of my mind. I can't listen to music and do anything else other than listen to music. I don't like to talk to people if they say "Hey, I got the new Porcupine Tree....let's listen to it." To me it's like "if we're going to listen, please don't talk to me while it's on. If you want to talk, turn the darned thing off!" I don't play music in the background when I'm doing things. I need to stay focused at all times in just about everything in my life and I find that music distracts me from the other things I'm doing.
 
It's weird...I'm a very good multi-tasker, but music stops me from doing other things correctly. The only time I can listen to music is when I want to hear it for enjoyment, in the car, while I shower, and when I want to sit and listen to something seriously. All other times...it just takes me away from what I'm doing...which is a GOOD thing, but not necessarily at that time. :) So though I can relate to what you're saying, it's not something I have been able to do often partly because music is such a "give me attention or nothing at all" type of drug for me. :)
 
-Danny

Ya, what you guys need is a female listening to it like a mother-in-law commenting on anything else except whatever it is that is playing (music?). That puts it in perspective!
 
And since I can not hear how other people hear it, I can not imagine how they hear it anyway, so usually if recording a part, or practicing playing it, I usually just try and not fall asleep, or become so bored that way. Usually I am just listening to see if I played the correct notes in the song and then after all that work, I usually have to take a break from it anyway.
 
Now on to other tips of how to listen to music!
Usually another person will set you straight on listening to your music.
 
Some day I think I will just make a comedian recording without the music perhaps. Someday.

 
Now back to perhaps changing tubes in some equipment, because it just don't seem the same.
I figure if I even make it through the song without thoughts wandering then I may have been awake while listening.
 

Another example and years ago..... I was sleeping but half awake with the radio playing. I guess a dream state but awake. I hated the song 'Mrs Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter' (Herman's Hermits) but the song was playing and I thought, man, this song has really got a groove to it. Changed my perspective about the song. It was like being high on pot or LSD and being completely engrossed in the song. Loved it and like the song to this day. Same thing happened with 'I've got a brand new pair of roller skates.' Stupid songs until I listened in another state of mind without, maybe, prejudices.
 
Thanks for the replies, everyone. Danny, I tend to listen to my music critically and others as well but I can listen to enjoy as well. The state I was describing in my original post is not something I control at will. It happens when I'm not trying to make it happen. When I become aware of it, it's gone. But for an instance I heard objectively while not completely being focused on the song. 

chasmcg
I hated the song 'Mrs Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter' (Herman's Hermits) but the song was playing and I thought, man, this song has really got a groove to it. Changed my perspective about the song. It was like being high on pot or LSD and being completely engrossed in the song. Loved it and like the song to this day. Same thing happened with 'I've got a brand new pair of roller skates.' Stupid songs until I listened in another state of mind without, maybe, prejudices.

Phill Brown, in his book Zen & The Art Of Mixing, makes the point that a song has to sound annoying to some of the people listening.  Otherwise it will never be a hit.