I listened more carefully to the guitar playing in Leppard's "Action" compared to the original by Sweet, and I agree with you that Def Leppard's guitar is better.
What are some reasons you don't like the song? I'm curious, because I'm finding that the more I listen to it, the more I like it!
The last three days as I've been thinking of other things, in the back of my mind I'll start hearing a beat and realize...hey! That's "Action"! And before long, I'm singing the chorus in my mind, quite happy.
One thing I like about the song besides its upbeat sound and curiously frenzied guitar intro (that seems to be in a minor key, giving a disturbed feeling to the song), is that I'm not sure exactly what the song is about.
Do the lryics mean "Do you want action" as in "Do you want an intellectual fight? Well, bring it on!"
Or do they mean "action" as in, "Babe, do you still want to get it on, even though you've done me wrong?"
Or both?
I also like the song because it sounds confident, feisty, and kind of cocky. It reminds me of someone I knew.