The Bonaparte's - Battle Of Lena

The Bonaparte's is a French group from the Baroque Bordello, composed of three members, and which released two albums from 1984 to 1985.
The name of the group originates from producer Kim Fowley, an important and colorful character of the Californian psychedelic scene, nicknamed Napoleon XIV. The Bonaparte's have also made extensive use of elements from the Napoleonic universe: cover of the first disc (Shiny Battles) reproducing 'Les Pestiférés de Jafa'.
The title of the second album, Welcome… To The Isle of Dogs, refers to a mythical peninsula in the London docks.
Their label was at the time Garage Records, one of the hubs of the French underground and afterpunk scene alongside New Rose, Madrigal, V.I.S.A., etc…
The new wave rock register of this group is comparable to that of, among others, The Cure, Killing Joke, Siouxsie… The group was also produced on the occasion of two titles by Lol Tolhurst, as was already the case from the time of Baroque Bordello's first EP.
'The Women in Line', or 'The Battle of Iena', for example, are characteristic titles of their often epic and intense style, where the sound experimentation also brings its typically new wave anxiety-inducing side (despite an apparently ' nonchalant' very recognizable): omnipresent bass, foggy reverberations for the drums, the guitar and the voice, all thanks to an ambitious work of composition.
The psychedelic element is often cited, and alongside a purposeful unpredictability of their orchestration. It should be noted that the group tended to widen its field of exploration from the first album (thus 'They're coming to take me away', a cover of the famous Napoleon XIV, concludes the first opus of The Bonaparte's in an offbeat way , inviting a certain suspense when following the releases).
The style (to a certain extent), notoriety at the time, and career, are reminiscent of bands like B-Movie for example, although the latter seem recently active, unlike Bonaparte's.
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Despite a favorable reception from the reviewers, a perceptible intransigence and a stylistic line in clear contrast to the swarm of new wave groups of the time, the group enjoyed discreet success. It was not until the complete reissues on CD in the 2000s, again by their label, that Bonaparte's rarities were once again accessible to the general public!
They are further proof that it is more often promotion that determines the immediacy or extent of success, than stylistic work, talent or originality. We could speak of a new wave 'comet': this would be a 'secret' comet, seen in rare latitudes.
Their work remains convincing despite the changes linked to fashion and constitutes a successful synthesis of the emblematic inspirations of the French and English new wave of the mid-eighties.

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C’est pas Lena mais Iena avec un i majuscule