take the albums Aenima and Lateralus by Tool. i think Lateralus is the more "respectable" album. it's more focused, more serious, and Parabola is downright transcendental. every time i listen to Parabola, i melt into my seat.
but when i listen to Aenima, i enjoy it more. i think Aenima is more personal. instead of the vague, interpretable lyrics on Lateralus, they write about things like selling out, tripping on psychedelics, and hating LA. it's a focused blast of personal emotion, and it feels fresh. when i listen to Aenima, i picture four guys expressing their feelings about the world. when i listen to Lateralus, i picture nameless Beings of Music creating songs for us to listen to. the second feels more impersonal, and that means i can't connect with it as much on an emotional level.
so i think of Aenima as an album i "enjoy" and Lateralus as an album i "respect". if you asked me which album was "better", i wouldn't be able to answer. i like both for their own reasons.
i think about this difference a lot when trying to understand my tastes in music. do i like something because i emotionally connect with it, or do i like it because i respect and appreciate what it's doing? these are two very different things, and each of them leads to a different set of conclusions.