The lumbering beast that is the recording industry still hasn’t fully awakened from its holiday slumber, as evidenced by this week’s sparse offering of new releases. A greatest hits album from Alice Cooper [ tickets ] and the latest opus from country stalwart Alabama [ tickets ] lead the pack.

As Alice Cooper’s 53rd birthday (2/4) nears, Rhino Records offers up “Mascara & Monsters: The Best of Alice Cooper,” a compilation of 22 of the shock-rocker’s previously released songs. The disc features classics such as “I’m Eighteen,” “School’s Out” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” as well as more recent fare, such as his 1989 comeback hit, “Poison.”

Rhino’s previous Cooper retrospective, “The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper,” was released in April 1999. That collection features four compact discs that house 81 songs culled from 21 albums released on various labels between 1969-1997. Rhino also plans to release a “deluxe edition” of 1973’s “Billion Dollar Babies” (Warner Bros.) on Feb. 6.

Cooper’s most recent album of all-new material, “Brutal Planet” (Spitfire), was released last year. He toured the U.S. extensively in support of the disc last fall. More tour dates are expected in 2001, according to his official website.

“When It All Goes South” (RCA) is the latest from veteran country act Alabama. The album’s title-track is No. 17 on industry trade publication Radio & Records’ latest country chart, which measures radio airplay. The song is also No. 21 on the current Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Over the course of its 21-year recording career, Alabama has garnered 42 No. 1 singles and has sold over 60 million records worldwide, according to the group’s official website.

Alabama will begin a tour in support of “When It All Goes South” on Monday night (1/15) in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Other new releases: