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.
 

It is amazing what taking a break from a track can do, go to another different project and then go back to it, things jump out a mile and slap you in the face.
 
Danny, I have exactly the same problem as you in that I simply cannot multitask while listening to music, I cant study for exams with the buds in and I find running with music to be highly annoying and can even effect my balance! Oh and yes those panned drums on the beatles CD too drives me nuts!
 
Cian

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. 

I mix and then upload to my iPhone.  I will then sit in the living room or out on my porch listening in cans over and over again.
 
I then go to sleep and wakeup to go to work.  Play the song driving the 30 miles to work and check it out at all kinds of different volumes.  Between those experiences, I usually know exactly what I need to do to the mix.  
 
When it gets down to almost no ideas, I leave it.  Then I don't listen to it for months even if I post it and share it.
 
When I come back to it, I know if I nailed it or not.  Most of the time it seems as I continue to learn more and more about mixing and using my toys, I am a better mixer than a few months ago so I could start all over again.  Instead, I just start writing a new song.  
 
Danny, 
On a side note, I love McCartney's bass!  Ha Ha!  I grew up on it and have enjoyed it on most all the Beatles tunes.  I really don't have any other favorite bass player for pop stuff.  :)
 
All the best, 
 
Rimshot

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.

I, too, have noticed that McCartney would not hold his bass notes very long. Was playing bass in a trio once with a great guitar player and I have a tendency to chop my notes at times (though not copying McCartney). He would tell me to hold my notes longer. I was a kid and he was the master. Tried to accommodate him.
 
Panning things to the right or left was sort of the rage in the 60s for awhile. We would listen, someone would pan an instrument that went from L to R and it would turn us on. Stereo was new to us in those days and it was a fad. Fads come and go so, never can tell, it might happen again.