On this date in 1981, U2 released their second studio album OCTOBER, (October 1981) NOTE: The video here is U2 performing October / New Year's Day live from Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Colorado in 1983 [New Year's Day is, of course, not on the LP October] While the critically acclaimed debut Boy put U2 on the map with hits like "I Will Follow", October saw the band deal with the pressures and challenges of the "difficult second album", resulting in a more subdued, spiritual record that acted as an i