Biography

Seguridad Social comes from Spain but its 20-year career trajectory follows a common pattern starting off with punk and ska in the early 80s the group moved to a harder rock sound later in the decade Singer and chief songwriter Jose Manuel Casa dumped the original lineup in 1991 and the revamped Seguridad Social enjoyed a few years of mass popularity before a quick decline and rejection as being old-fashioned by the new alternative audience in Spain At its early-90s peak the quartet displayed a keen grasp of rock rudiments combining a streamlined sound and smart arrangements with a deft songwriting touch Seguridad Social was formed in Valencia in 1982 by Casa Cristobal Perpi guitar Emilio Doceda bass and Julin Nemecio drums in the imovidai era when Spanish popular music art and culture exploded following the end of the Franco dictatorship The group spread the word via homemade cassettes and live shows that were reportedly audience confrontations in the grand punk style one cassette called En Desconcierto was described as live and badly recorded but wild and fun That attracted the attention of the Valencian indie label Discos Citra which released a series of singles including the five-track No Es Facil Ser Dios Its Not Easy to Be God 12 in 1984 The groups first album Vino Tabaco Y Caramelos was released in 1987 and reissued on CD four years later Que Te Voy A Dar attracted some national attention and Seguridad Social followed up with 1990s Introglicerina produced by Andy Wallace with Accin keeping the groups popular momentum building Casan chose that moment to jettison the original band and recruited Alberto Tarn guitar Jess Gabaldn bass and Rafael Villalba drums The new lineups first effort Que No Se Extinga La Llama sported lean clean arrangements with occasional touches of Latin and flamenco influences The album spawned a big hit in Chiquilla and went on to sell nearly 100000 copies 1993s Furia Latina confirmed the bands new mainstream status by reportedly selling 300000 copies and produced another big hit in Quiero Tener Tu Presencia A live album was a logical next step but Seguridad Social took an unorthodox approach by releasing separate albums simultaneously in 1994 Compromiso Vol 1 and De Amor Vol 2 featured highlights from the groups early punk phase with the best songs from the its commercial break-out albums But the band failed to connect with the new indiealternative audience that developed in mid-90s Spain Alberto Tarn left the band and 1997s self-produced En la Boca del Volcn was fatally flawed by studio excess Neither 1999s Camino Vertical described as a return to roots with some nods to technoelectronica nor Va Por Ti an album of songs associated with pioneering 60s rocker Bruno Lomas whom Casa called the Elvis of Spain in an online interview in 2000 restored the groups popularity Grandes Exitos Gracias por las Molestias a greatest hits package with extra DVD was released in 2002 and Seguridad Socials best days seemed to be behind it Don Snowden All Music Guide