There are more and more compilation DVDs on our retail shelves these days, some good, some just plain awful. Dependent upon the target audience, it seems that the majority of these releases contain one or two hit songs and the rest are either one hit wonders or fillers. So Fresh – The DVD: Vol 1 contained 25 songs and, for the most part, they were all well known commercial hits. So Fresh – The DVD: Volume 2 doesn’t seem as full of hits, but to counteract that argument, it contains a whopping 42 video clips, meaning there are just as many hits as its predecessor plus a few lesser known tracks, hopefully satisfying a wider audience.

Of course people by my records for my singing ability!

It is almost impossible to please everyone with this type of releasei. The producers obviously have a target audience in mind and have catered well for that. There is a nice balance of girly pop songs, hip-hop tracks and good old rock 'n' roll. Artists featured are generally known, if not by name then by their songs. There are a couple of tracks included that will require instant fast forwarding for most viewers, but there may be one or two viewers that enjoy them – their parents perhaps. I won’t mention any names of course, but are Nikki Webster and DJ Bobo still making records? Not to just target these two though, as there are many other “artists� included here with questionable talent, even if they do have a reasonable fanbase and have managed to sell records, whether that be for the song or for their body shape is a question only the buyer can answer.

Track listing...

Do I look bored?

All in all this is not a bad range of tracks and its target audience should be satisfied. The fact that there are so many video clips to choose from is a huge advantage and most should find enough tracks that they like to warrant purchasing this release. Fans of TV shows such as Video Hits and So Fresh should be more than happy with the collection contained here, with a couple of exceptions that shouldn’t be on any release. In fact as far as we're concerned they shouldn't even have recording contracts.

Being a collection of different video clips, the picture quality varies throughout, but is generally of the highest quality. Supplied in full frame and naturally therefore not 16:9 enhanced, it is equal to or better than what you would see on television. Colours are bright and bold, sharpness is generally solid and there are few faults throughout. The only minor issues are occasional aliasing, slight grain and over saturation, but these are all very minor and cause no great interference to your viewing pleasure.

Agggghhhhh Nikki!

Audio is supplied in Dolby Digital stereo and it sounds great. For a simple stereo mix it really pumps through the sound loud and clear. There are no problems with hiss, dropout or clicks and pops. Overall this is of CD quality.

With 42 video clips on one disc there wasn’t a great expectation for any extras, but surprisingly there are some. Taken from the television show, we get a collection of interviews with Candice Alley, Amity Dry, David Campbell, Nikki Webster, Sandrine, 1200 Techniques, Pete Murray and the two hosts of the show. These are basically a question and answer session with each person on various topics. We are also given a montage of outtakes featuring the hosts of the show stuffing up their lines.

Overall, this is great for the market it is aimed at. Most should find enough songs or artists contained to warrant the purchase and, with 42 video clips, most won't struggle to find a few they like.