Yeah... I agree.
The obvious influence here is Bob Dylan and Subterranean Homesick Blues in particular. (Dylans song also influenced Eddie Rabbitt.) Its a stream-of-consciousness commentary, and Almers voice isnt great. This was his debut single, released by A&M in 1969. It went nowhere, not even on FM Progressive Rock. It was supposed to introduce his debut album, but that album didnt see the light of day until 2013 after Almers death. He is kind of cute, though.