To headphone or not to headphone, that is the question...

I was sat in the pub last night when the Broken Social Scene album "You forgot it in people" came on. Suddenly I was filled with a lot of love for the album. This might seem fairly normal, except for the fact that I've been listening to the album at work on and off for the last two weeks (after a recommendation to check it out) and had got as far as liking it, but not really feeling the joy.

So what had changed? I mused this for a while before I realised that at work, I listen to my mp3 player, so therefore hear all the music through my headphones (and they are in ear ones that pretty much block out everything but the music). A theory began to form. Maybe there are some albums that need to be heard in an open room?! I'd already established that there are certain albums best listened to through headphones, but this is the first time I'd properly considered that headphones weren't necessarily best for all albums...

I could list a dozen albums that should be listened to via headphones to fully appreciate them - "In Rainbows" by Radiohead (after it was pointed out by Piet that listening to it in my car with only one speaker working was incorrect), "Speak for Yourself" by Imogen Heap, "Comments of the Inner Chorus" by Tunng, "Pink Moon" by Nick Drake to name a few. I also think I can enjoy a majority of albums in either setting... But this Broken Social Scene album is the first time I've found significantly more enjoyment not hearing it through headphones. Hmmmmmm.

Am I alone on this or does anyone else agree?