Editing Rocket to Russia (section)

== Tommy's departure ==
Drummer Tommy, who had also worked to co-produce the album, was troubled by the lack of sales and began debating on continuing with the Ramones. He also considered touring to be "depressing", and that the audience at unfamiliar gigs were "a bunch of very eccentric, high-strung, crazy people, from one shit-hole club to another."<ref name="leigh 183" /> The drummer left the band in 1978 but continued as producer on their next album ''[[Road to Ruin (Ramones album)|Road to Ruin]]''.<ref>Bessman 1993, p. 94.</ref> He said:

{{Blockquote|I was thinking, 'What's best for the Ramones?' There was all this tension between me and Johnny. I was trying to release the pressure, to keep the band going. I told Dee Dee and Joey first that I was leaving the band. They said, 'Oh no, don't go, don't go, blah, blah, blah.' I told them we had to do something because I was losing my mind.<ref name="leigh 183">Leigh 1994, p. 183.</ref><ref name="leigh 184">Leigh 1994, p. 184.</ref>}}