Claim: Song Sung Blue is a work of music.

Moods is the eighth studio album by Neil Diamond , released by Uni Records in 1972 . It contained the second of his # 1 songs , `` Song Sung Blue '' , and was something of a follow-up in style to the highly experimental Tap Root Manuscript .   Billboard praised Moods highly , saying it contained `` brilliant , diversified material . '' This album , and its follow-up live album Hot August Night , are generally acknowledged to be the two most important recording projects of Diamond 's career in terms of defining his signature sound for the future . Within the music industry and among music professionals this is considered one of Diamond 's better and more creative recordings . It received a Grammy Award nomination for Album of the Year for 1972 . Song Sung Blue was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year . Lee Holdridge was the arranger and conductor of the orchestra .